The Slayers: Reward
by Lord Archive
Summary: It all starts with a dragon, a meddling priest, and a surprise wedding. Soon Lina's crew of slayers begin to reform, but for what purpose? Can Lina get out of her little problem? Will Zelgadis get his cure? What does Xellos have to do with all of this?
1. Surprise?! The Lovely Bride?!

Slayers: Reward  
  
Chapter 1: Surprise! The lovely bride?!  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The Slayers belong to Hajime Kanazaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, SOFTX, Software Sculptures Ltd., and many others. I do not own them. I'm only borrowing them. I'll return them as quickly as I can since Lina and Gourry are eating away bank account.  
  
This begins a few months after Slayers: Try. There are a few spoilers in this, but I won't specifically explain anything, but I will refer to them. If you don't want even vague spoilers, I suggest that you don't read this.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Lina had missed these times. With only Gourry with her, a lot of things were easier than when they were being followed by a princess, a chimera, a mazoku, and at least one other lunatic. There was more food for her, less fighting, and no one complaining about her getting her own room.  
  
Though, for a reason Lina couldn't explain, during the times the inn only had one room, she wanted at least one other person with them... to make sure Gourry didn't get any ideas.  
  
Despite that little problem, just the two of them traveling together was perfect.  
  
One of the bigger benefits was that her periods weren't broadcast to a number of people. It's a real damper on the adventure when you've got to tell the group, 'hey, let's stay at an inn for a few days and recoup.' Unfortunately, this was one of the areas Gourry was observant in, as he'd bluntly tell everyone why she wanted to stop. And he didn't even know anything about 'that time of the month' beyond that Lina couldn't cast many spells during it.  
  
Lina watched as the ball of light flickered in her hand.  
  
Gourry's eyebrow arched. "That time of the month again, huh?"  
  
"Shut up." Lina would fireball him, but at this point she'd have to call on the four mazoku lords to have enough power to singe him. "How much farther is Edo?"  
  
Gourry scratched his head and then held one finger then made a complex figure and then held two fingers.  
  
Lina clenched her fist. "You can just tell me."  
  
"But you said, 'shut up.'"  
  
"I meant about my time of the month, not about anything else."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Lina turned around and blinked. Where did that dragon come from? She really didn't like the look in its eyes. "Freeze arrow!"  
  
The dragon scowled and then lunged at her trying to get a mouthful of sorceress.  
  
"Lina, run!" Gourry shouted, pulling out his sword.  
  
"You can't fight him with that cheap magical sword!" Lina frantically dodged the dragon's hungry maul. "Lord of the Darkness and the Four Worlds, I call upon you, grant me all the power that you possess! Freeze bleed!" A ball of ice exploded on the dragon's black scaly head.  
  
If its food wanted to play with ice, how would this little appetizer like fire? The dragon reared its head back and let loose a cone of fiery death.  
  
Lina was not a happy girl. No real spells and a hungry dragon that just scorched her favorite outfit, in a couple days she would come back and give the beast a short lesson of pain and death.  
  
"Lina!" Gourry jumped over the wyrm's tremendous height, and smashed his sword between its eyes. Falling back down, the blond swordsman stabbed the sword into the dragon's neck and rode it down to the ground. The cut that caused opened several meters of the dragon's neck to the air.  
  
Best five thousand gold Lina had ever spent. She hadn't put much trust into Gourry's temporary sword even with its enchantments, but it certainly did the job. If it could hurt mazoku as well, the loss of the light sword wasn't as bad as she had originally thought.  
  
"Lina! Are you all right?" Gourry rushed over to her, while wiping some of the dragon's blood off his face.  
  
"I'm fine. It'd take more than that to hurt me." Lina glanced over to the thrashing dragon as it was drowning in its own blood. "Good work. Seems my sword did its job nicely."  
  
Gourry blinked. "Your sword? I thought you gave it to me."  
  
Lina looked at him as if he fell off the turnip wagon. "You honestly thought I'd just GIVE you something that I spent MY money on."  
  
"Well, yes."  
  
Lina threw her arms up into the air. "Whatever. Let's get to Edo so you can wash that blood off."  
  
The pair disappeared over the hill as the dragon continued to thrash.  
  
Lina glanced at Gourry. "Why didn't you know the dragon was there?"  
  
"I knew it was there. I just didn't think he was going to bother us." Gourry shrugged. "Besides, it wasn't much of a threat."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Sir Erwin's legs shook as he approached his foe. The dragon had been terrorizing Edo for too long. Having recently been knighted by the lovely Princess Alicia, he had decided to quest for the beast's death. Now the freckled knight, who weighed no more than forty kilograms with armor on, was approaching either history or death. Most likely his own death.  
  
High Priest Towermere rode behind the brave, but foolish, knight. His white and gold robes regally set off his gray hair and blue eyes. The priest had seen the likes of this knight before: in love with the princess and seeking to earn her favor, only to be killed rather spectacularly. The only reason he accompanied the young fool, was in the off chance the boy got lucky and succeeded in defeating the beast, since the poor lad would need to be healed even if the dragon was killed. He would do more, but the Knights of Edo were not allowed any direct aid during a quest, after the quest was a different matter entirely.  
  
The pair stopped. Their target lay before them and they were struck with awe. The huge black wyrm stretched for over a hundred meters along the ground. The sheer amount of blood coating the landscape attested to the beast's great size.  
  
Erwin took off his glasses, cleaned them, and put them back on. "It's dead?!" The knight then breathed a sigh of relief. He had been a complete idiot when he proclaimed his quest, and it was over before he even had to raise a finger.  
  
Towermere eyed the long gash on the dragon's neck and nodded. "It has gone to greet Ceiphied."   
  
Erwin watched as the High Priest dismounted and then walked to the dragon and touched it.  
  
"Death vision." Towermere saw an armored man slay the dragon with a sword and then talk to a girl who pointed towards their city. "It appears we missed the dragon slayer as we approached. He is near Edo. We have much to prepare for that fighter."  
  
"Prepare for THAT fighter?" Erwin shrieked. "You don't mean he's going to...."  
  
Towermere mounted his horse. "Of course. That quest was not assigned to you, but to any who heed Ceiphied's great call. He shall be the one to get all the rewards promised." The priest set his horse at full gallop.  
  
"But, High Priest Towermere, wait!" Sir Erwin charged after him.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Food, glorious food. The only thing better than food, was having a lot more food. Too bad Ashford was a good two weeks travel away. They could've sold him the dragon to make dragon cuisine since she had used very little magic in slaying it and this time she might've been able to be there when it would have been done being cooked, six months later. That minor detail hardly got into Lina's way as she decimated another plate of triple servings of ribs.  
  
Towermere smiled as he approached the pair eating the poor inn out of its inventory. He had found the man who had slain the dragon. "Greetings, I'm High Priest Towermere."  
  
Lina eyed the man. She had heard a couple things about him. Enough to know that he was not the kind of person one should underestimate. There was one story she had heard about the priest where he had single handily stopped a bandit gang, led by a rather high level sorcerer, that had tried to rob Towermere's cathedral blind. He might be able to last five minutes against her when she was at full power, considering how much protective magic a white mage can have. "Lina Inverse, what is it that you want?"  
  
Towermere straightened. Inverse was a name to not take lightly. Between the Ceiphied Knight, Luna, and her younger sister, the goddess of destruction-- it was best to be polite and not upset either of them. "Um, well, yes. I have come to talk to your companion."  
  
"Huh?" the pair replied.  
  
"What is your name, Sir Knight?"  
  
"It's Gourry Gabriev, and I'm not a knight."  
  
"You're not?" Towermere looked confused.  
  
"Nope, just a swordsman."  
  
"A remarkable one, considering what you did to Grimhill."  
  
"Grimhill?" Gourry asked.  
  
Towermere raised an eyebrow. Apparently Gabriev was not a local. "The dragon you slew just outside of the city."  
  
"Oh." Gourry shrugged.  
  
Lina leaned over to the priest. "Now, Towermere, can you tell me if there is a reward for killing that dragon?"  
  
Towermere nodded. "Of course. The reward is the greatest treasure in all the land. By the way, Lina, what is Sir Gabriev to you?"  
  
"He's just my protector." Lina turned away to hide her blush.  
  
Towermere raised an eyebrow. "From your reputation, I didn't think you needed a protector."  
  
Lina glared at him. "I don't."  
  
"I see." Towermere turned to Gourry. "Now, Sir Gabriev, come with me so you can gain your reward."  
  
The swordsman stood up. "Just call me Gourry."  
  
"I'm coming, too."  
  
Towermere shook his head. "Where I am to take Sir Gourry is only for the slayer of the dragon, Grimhill."  
  
Lina looked at Towermere skeptically.  
  
Towermere made a prayer for the people of Edo. "Do not worry, he is to receive what Ceiphied has promised."  
  
"I'll be back as soon as I can." Gourry patted her on the head. "Besides, its not like you can do much since it's that time I'm suppose to shut up about."  
  
Gourry suddenly, and painfully, found himself outside of the inn.  
  
Towermere raised an eyebrow, but wisely kept his mouth shut as he followed Gourry under his own power.  
  
Lina glowered. "Waitress! I want everything on the even numbered pages!" She couldn't shake the feeling that Towermere, as goody-little-two-shoes his reputation was, would be causing her no end of grief in the near future.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Edo was a small city or a large town depending on who you asked. Besides Flare Cathedral of Ceiphied and the Castle Edo, there wasn't much remarkable about the town. While the castle sat over the town, to protect it, the cathedral stuck up in the middle of it like a sore thumb.  
  
Gourry was confused that this priest wasn't taking him to the cathedral, but to the castle. If he was going to receive Ceiphied's reward, wouldn't that be at the cathedral? He shrugged, and decided not to think about it. It didn't matter that the reward was at the castle.  
  
It was not long before Towermere had led Gourry to the main room of castle. He bowed to the blond haired girl with green eyes who sat on the throne. "Greetings, Princess Alicia of Edo, I have come with the man who has slain the dragon Grimhill." The priest waved Gourry forward.  
  
Gourry approached the throne, while scratching his head. He snapped his fingers, thinking that the princess had his reward.  
  
"May I present to you the dragon slayer, Gourry Gabriev."   
  
Gourry turned and looked at the priest. "I'm not really a dragon slayer. I've only helped to kill a couple of them. Xellos is a dragon slayer. He's killed hundreds."  
  
Towermere's eyebrow quirked. Not sure what to make of Gourry's statement, and trying to remember where he had heard that name before.  
  
"High Priest Towermere, he is not the knight who quested to defeat Grimhill," Princess Alicia's voice sang through the air.  
  
"Your majesty, the quest to defeat Grimhill was issued by the will of Ceiphied. Anyone who heeded the call to destroy the beast had the chance to gain the promised reward."  
  
"But Towermere what the divine message stated was for the QUESTED fighter."  
  
"If one heeds the call of Ceiphied, he would be a quested fighter."  
  
"But I do not think...." Princess Alicia flustered.  
  
"Could someone tell me what's going on?" Gourry asked.  
  
Towermere patted Gourry on the back. "Nothing to worry about, Sir Gourry. The princess was just a little confused about Ceiphied's divine message. You shall receive your reward."  
  
"What exactly is the reward?"  
  
"Why it's to marry the princess, of course." Towermere smiled. "Congratulations. Edo will prosper with Ceiphied's blessing of the new prince."  
  
"WHAT?! Marry the princess?!" Gourry looked at the princess, whose head was bowed and seemed unwilling to look up. "I can't marry her. I've got to protect Lina."  
  
"Now, now, boy, Lina doesn't need you to protect her."  
  
"I have to stay with Lina!"  
  
Towermere sighed. He had seen this before in many people who were about to marry, especially the guys who were forced at sword point to marry their pregnant girlfriends. It was just a matter of cold feet. Unfortunately cures to this varied from person to person. "Do not worry, Ceiphied has already blessed this marriage. And isn't the princess the most beautiful girl you've ever seen?"  
  
"Please don't distract me. I need to get back to Lina."  
  
Towermere sighed as Gourry strode past him. "Sleep."  
  
Gourry looked at the ground and briefly wondered why it looked like such a nice place to take a nap.  
  
-------------------*  
  
"I knew it. I knew it. I knew it," Lina grumbled under her breath. She had woken up at the inn and soon discovered Gourry hadn't gone back to his room. The morning gossip answered why. It seemed that Towermere decided to have Gourry marry the local princess tomorrow afternoon.  
  
Lina pulled up her gloves. She really wished the timing could've gone better for her. Why couldn't this have happened in a few days when she had all her powers back? She doubted Towermere would fall victim to a lighting spell or even flare arrow. However, beating the old geezer up so he couldn't conduct the ceremony, sounded really good.  
  
"Pssst."  
  
Lina stopped and looked around. She saw a hooded figure standing at the edge of an alley waving at her.  
  
Lina glared at the cathedral and then moved toward him.  
  
The figure led her into the alley. "Are you Lina? The girl Gourry wants to see?"  
  
Lina considered her options. She doubted this guy was a sorcerer, and if this was a trap, she should be able to deal with it. But it was best to play it safe. "Who wants to know?"  
  
The man took off his hood to reveal a freckled face. "I'm Sir Erwin. The princess has sent me to get your help to alter a few of the wedding arrangements."  
  
Lina raised an eyebrow. "Alter in what way?"  
  
"To prevent her from having to marry Gourry."  
  
"I'm all ears."  
  
"Really?" Sir Erwin stared at her body as he pictured her with ears lining her skin.  
  
Lina elbowed the top of his head. "Are all fighters stupid?"  
  
-------------------*  
  
"Greetings, Princess Alicia." Towermere bowed.  
  
"Greet... A CHOU!! Ah, greetings High Priest Towermere." Sir Erwin quickly handed Alicia a handkerchief. "Seems I've caught a cold. It should not interfere in the ceremony." Her voice sounded rather congested.  
  
Towermere raised his hand to her forehead and then nodded. "As great as magic has become, no mage has yet to cure the common cold. I'll make things simpler to not make your cold worse."  
  
"Thank... aaahh CHOOU!!! Thank you."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Gourry was nervous. He had gotten Lina's message to go along with everything and that he had better realize what her plan was when the time came. He figured out most of it when he recognized her, but he wondered if Lina had thought it out. Now, was she expecting him to do something or was he supposed to wait for her sign? She hadn't been doing anything but sneezing, was that the signal? Well, if he screwed it up it was too late now.  
  
"You may kiss the bride!" Towermere called out joyfully and everyone in the cathedral cheered.  
  
Gourry's hand shook as he lifted the veil of his new bride and kissed her. The bride stiffened as their lips contacted.  
  
Towermere also stiffened as he noticed something. "You're not the princess!"  
  
"Costume party is over!" Lina threw the veil into Towermere's face.   
  
"Ah chou!" Towermere grabbed the veil and tossed it away. "You've disrupted the royal wedding. Knights of Edo, arrest her! Ah CHOU!!"  
  
Lina smirked. With the Demon's Blood, she was still a sorceress to be reckoned with. "Lord of Darkness and the Four Worlds..."  
  
Gourry moved a few steps towards the knights. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Don't you know who she is?   
  
"I call upon you...."   
  
Gourry pointed at the bride. "She's the genius sorceress, Lina Gabriev!"  
  
Lina fell and kissed the carpeted floor. "Why did you call me that?!"  
  
Gourry blinked. "What? I thought you liked being called 'genius sorceress.'"  
  
"The 'Gabriev' part!"  
  
"Huh? We just got married so you're now a Gabriev, right?"  
  
Lina fell to the floor again. "Um... uh... we're... going to have to talk about that." She turned towards the approaching knights. "Let's try that again. Lord of the Darkness and the Four Worlds, I call upon you, grant me all the power that you possess! Diem Wind!"  
  
The knights were flung back by powerful winds and the main doors blew open.  
  
Gourry stood there dumbly. He thought the wind would've blown out the entire wall since she used the boost gems. "Oh, right. It's still that time of the month."  
  
Lina was about to grab Gourry's arm and run out, but somehow it became a headlock while she dragged him away at full speed.  
  
The guests were stupefied by what just happened.  
  
The knights were upset at being humiliated like that.  
  
Towermere scowled. "This will not do." He did not care who Lina was, she had interfered with Ceiphied's will and he would correct that. "Ah chou!" He would have to talk to the princess about her 'cold' as well.  
  
-------------------*  
  
After Gourry made a slight alteration to the wedding train on Lina's dress, they quickly made it out the city and found Sir Erwin waiting for them with a couple men on horseback, and a few horses without riders.  
  
Erwin smiled seeing them approach. "I see things worked out as planned."  
  
"You could say that." Lina eyed the riderless horses.  
  
"You can use that horse to make your escape." Erwin pointed at a horse, which had Gourry and her stuff strapped to it.   
  
"Just one?" The horse didn't look too bad, but she'd have to share it with Gourry.  
  
Erwin nodded. "It'll help cover your tracks. They'll go in separate directions to lead the rest of the knights away from you."  
  
Gourry looked back towards Edo, seeing no one behind them. "Why all this fuss to cover our tracks? We've gotten out of trouble before without needing to do this."  
  
"Towermere is rather strict in his view of Ceiphied. He can and will be sending all available knights after you."  
  
Lina raised a questioning look. "What about you guys?"  
  
Erwin pointed at the scroll pouch on one of the riders. "They'll be acting as messengers for the princess. That you used their tracks to cover your escape is not their fault. As for me, my duty is to guard the princess."  
  
"Very clever." Lina smirked. "The princess came up with this plan, didn't she?"  
  
Erwin sagged. "How did you know?"  
  
"Lucky guess, 'Ears.'" Lina walked over to the horse and mounted it. "Come on, Gourry."  
  
"Yes, dear." Gourry hopped on the horse behind Lina.  
  
"Where are you two going?" Erwin asked.  
  
Lina shrugged. "Not sure. Guess we'll go towards Sailoon just in case."  
  
"Wouldn't Sailoon help Towermere?"  
  
Lina grinned. "I'm pretty sure they would help us."   
  
"With us acting as decoys, you shouldn't have too many problems with the knights. Towermere, however, will still be able to track you with his magic."  
  
"I know." Lina kicked her horse into motion, keeping it at a fast walking pace. "See ya!"  
  
The men watched them go and then departed, leaving in different directions.   
  
A good distance away Gourry noticed something. "Lina, you stopped sneezing."  
  
"Of course I did. The veil had sneezing powder in it to make it look like I had a cold."  
  
"Why's that?"  
  
"To disguise my voice. Since the princess also used some sneezing powder this morning when she talked with Towermere, we were able to fool him."  
  
"Um, how did you fool him?"  
  
Lina's grip on the reins tightened. "We both made ourselves sound congested so that during the ceremony Towermere would think I was the princess, who he thinks has a cold. If we hadn't, he would've been able to figure it out as soon as I spoke."  
  
Gourry scratched his head. "I thought he would've noticed your boost gems and that you're not as developed as she is."  
  
Lina's eye twitched and Gourry found himself flying ahead of the horse.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Author's notes:  
  
  
Forty kilograms is roughly equal to eighty-eight pounds, which plate armor tends to weigh from fifty to seventy pounds-- if not more. Erwin is not brawny by any stretch of the imagination.  
  
Finally finished a chapter for Slayers. Not the big fict I've been working on, but something that looks to be about ten to twelve parts. I want to say five or six, but something tells me it's going to be bigger than that so I've inflated the number. Any desire to make this a series will be consumed by the larger Slayers fict and I do have an end for Reward plotted out. The title will make more sense at the end of the fict.  
  
And to answer the questions:   
  
Did Lina think the princess's plan through? Of course she didn't.  
  
Isn't Lina the Dragon Spooker? Why didn't the dragon avoid her?  
The dragon was either a) stupid, b) brave, c) unobservant, d) it's Lina's time of the month so she isn't a walking magic factory, e) plot point, or f) any or all of the above that you would find believable. After all, dragons have attacked Lina after getting that title and the entire point was to hit on the cliché of kill the dragon and marry the princess.  
  
Isn't Towermere over his head? He's at the bottom of an ocean. Yes, he is outclassed and outgunned. But he is just one of the many problems that Lina will have to deal with.  
  
Are Lina and Gourry really married? That is a sec*WHAM!* Um, you'll find out in the next chapter.  



	2. Decision! The Choices That People Have T...

Slayers: Reward

Chapter 2: Decision! The Choices That People Have To Make!

By: Lord Archive

The Slayers belong to Hajime Kanazaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, SOFTX, Software Sculptures Ltd., and many others. I do not own them. I'm only borrowing them. I'll return them as quickly as I can since Lina and Gourry are eating away bank account.

This begins a few months after Slayers: Try. There are a few spoilers in this, but I won't specifically explain anything, but I will refer to them. If you don't want even vague spoilers, I suggest that you don't read this.

-------------------*

"Princess Alicia."

The princess gulped. So close to the safety of her room, and yet so far. "Yes, High Priest Towermere?"

Towermere glared angrily. "I want to know of your involvement in Inverse's plans to ruin what was supposed to be your wedding."

Alicia turned away from the priest. "Lina forced me to do that. There is something about that sword fighter that is important to her and she wasn't about to lose him. If I didn't go through with the plan, she would've destroyed Edo."

"Do you think so little of Ceiphied's protection?"

"Of course not. But I'm sure she would've done something destructive to get him back. If I saved even one life, I do not regret my actions."

"You know that her blasphemy must be put to an end. Ceiphied has decreed Sir Gourry is to be your husband and ruler of Edo, and I shall make sure that will come to pass." Towermere turned and stomped down the hall.

The princess hurried into her room, shutting and locking the door behind her. Tears started to stream down her eyes. Why did Ceiphied have to make that decree? Why couldn't Towermere interpret it differently?

Alicia found herself wrapped into a tight hug and heard, "Everything will be all right."

She turned and smiled a little. "You're always there for me."

-------------------*

Lina gazed off to the horizon. She didn't really mind sharing the horse with Gourry and when they make it to the next village, she could sell it. Horses weren't bad for the short trips, like the one were on from Edo to the village Shinjo, but the longer trips caused a few problems and she doubted the horse would fare well if they had to take it all the way to Sailoon. She never had much faith in them since they were too easy to scare. Besides, they could use the money to buy food.

Lina glanced back and sighed. Now what to do about what happened earlier that day? She had gone through the princess's plan, and it had worked. The only problem was the one aspect Lina hadn't thought about: that by replacing the bride, she would technically BE the bride. How could she have missed that?

Lina thought back to the ceremony and realized that at no point had either of them declared their names. That was odd for a noble marriage, but it wasn't hard to guess why. Normally the bride would take the groom's name, but Alicia was a princess and Gourry a mere swordsman. Chances are, that if Gourry had married the princess, he would've been forced to take her name. By not having names declared, it would not call any attention that Gourry already had a family name. Since they had not used names during the ceremony, it wouldn't be considered nullified since Lina hadn't used the princess's name.

As far as Lina could tell, the ceremony was legitimate and she was married. But did she want to be married? Did Gourry?

"Um, Gourry?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we're really married?"

Gourry scratched his head. "Of course we are. I mean we both said 'I do' and Towermere declared us man and wife. What more is there?"

Lina sagged. Worse than not having noticed it until after it was over was that Gourry had picked it up before she had. "Do you want to be married to me?"

"Haven't really thought about it." Gourry shrugged. "I promised to protect you for the rest of my life. This pretty much cements it, right?"

"I guess." What Lina wanted at the moment was a nice thick wall, to beat her head into it. "Isn't there anyone else you'd rather be married to?"

Gourry thought for a moment. "Can't think of anyone."

"Not even Syphiel?"

"She's a good friend, but I don't see how I could be married to her."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Don't know. Just the idea of living at a home with someone willing to do whatever I wanted doesn't appeal to me. I'd feel like I was using her."

Lina blinked. For a 'don't know' that was a pretty well thought out answer, especially from Gourry.

"Um, Lina? Did you want to get married?"

"Hadn't thought about it." Truthfully she hadn't because she never really thought too much about the future. She had only lived the life of adventuring and didn't know what she'd do after that ended. She guessed she'd set up a magic shop or something, but living in one place sounded boring to her. But that was part of the distant future.

One thing Lina was sure about was that part of that distant future was marriage. Something she didn't really want to consider yet. But she was married now, technically, and that would mean she should be looking for a place to settle down in. Or could she continue to adventure while married? Lina shook her head, knowing if she stayed married she should have sex with her husband and that led to having children. The life of adventuring was not the way to raise a child, particularly considering the child would be a liability and pregnancy tended to have the same effect as a period in terms of spell casting, just a lot longer.

Lina glanced back at Gourry. Maybe she should suggest annulling it... for now at least. Gourry wasn't too bad of a guy to be with, but this was too soon. Sure most eighteen-year-olds would wonder if they would end up being old maids if they weren't going to be married soon, but she wasn't some farm girl-- she was the greatest spell caster of her generation, not counting Luna who has an unfair advantage in this case. She should be the one to decide when she would get married.

"Um, Gourry?"

"Yeah?"

"I was thinking that maybe...."

"Lina Inverse! I, Towermere, High Priest of Ceiphied can not allow for the blasphemous action to continue. You must annul your marriage and allow Gourry to marry the princess."

"That's Gabriev!"

Lina smacked Gourry. "Stay out of this." The sorceress dismounted and approached the priest. "I will not allow you to take Gourry."

"It is not your place to interfere in Ceiphied's will. The Ceiphied Knight may be your sister, but that does not give you the right to do as you please."

Lina paled slightly at the mention of her sister. "This has nothing to do with my sister! This only has to deal with the ridiculous notion that just because Gourry killed your dopey dragon, he has to marry the princess. I have news for you, he'd rather be married to me!"

"Ceiphied has decreed that 'the one who is quested to destroy the terrible dragon shall marry the princess after the beast is slain.' By being called to destroy the beast, Gourry is that quested fighter and must marry the princess."

Lina growled. "The only reason Gourry killed it was because it hurt me, and the only calls he beckons to are mine and food."

"Your are mistaken. Gourry is not to be your husband."

"Forget it. Fireball!"

"Force wall!" Towermere stood calmly after the blast dissipated. "I had hoped that I did not have to resort to using violence. Knights, take her!"

Nothing happened.

"Knights?" Towermere looked around and saw his soldiers had been knocked unconscious. Gourry was standing near them while idly twirling his sword around.

Lina smirked. Just her verses Towermere, and her powers were coming back. This would be no contest. "Flare bit!" She knew the priest wouldn't be hurt by it, but her intent was to weaken his shield since the multiple hits would do more against it than a single blast of a fireball.

Towermere's shield wavered as numerous balls of light exploded. "I shall stop this blasphemy. Elmekia Lance!"

Lina dodged it and was impressed he could do that while having a shield spell active. However, now was the time for a little insult. "Lord of the Darkness and the Four Worlds, I call upon you, grant me all the power that you possess! Flare Arrow!"

A swarm of flaming arrows streaked towards the priest. It was like trying to block flare bit but each of these missiles came at him with a lot more power to them. His shield gave out and the entire area he was in exploded in flames.

"Come on, Gourry." Lina sighed noticing their horse had run off during the little battle. At least they had changed back and none of their stuff was on the horse.

"Is he going to be okay?" Gourry pointed at the smoking priest.

"When a priest gets to Towermere's level of ability, they can be harder to kill than a mazuko. He'll be back to annoy us, but not for a few days at least." 

After several minutes of walking, Lina grinned. "Looks like we won't have to walk to Shinjo. They left us their horses."

"I don't think they left those for us." Gourry gulped as Lina glared at him. "But, I guess we can use them since they were going to attack us."

"Exactly."

-------------------*

It was just after midnight that Lina and Gourry finally made it to Shinjo. Being a small village, the local inn was easy to spot since it was easily the largest building there. However, when they tried to enter it, the doors were locked. Lina pounded on the door.

"We're closed," came through the door.

"We need food and a place to sleep!"

The door opened and tired eyes looked at them. "I can rent you a room, but the restaurant is closed."

"We spent all day traveling from Edo to get here!"

"Sorry, but the chef already went to bed."

Lina's stomach growled. She wanted food and didn't care how she got it. "Have a heart, mister. We're newlyweds and haven't really had a chance to eat since breakfast."

"Newlyweds, huh?" The man brightened a little.

The pair nodded.

The man sighed. "I'll see if I can get the chef to wake up." He sat the pair down and then went to a side room. "Hey, Reena! We've got some newlyweds from Edo who'd like something to eat... if that isn't a problem."

"Newlyweds?" Reena chirped as she bounded out of her room. She sighed dreamily while looking at Gourry and Lina. She then glanced at the scrawny man that had greeted them at the door. Considering that Reena weighed more than everyone else in the room combined, Lina understood why the guy looked deathly ill under her gaze.

Reena looked back at Lina. "You don't look like the princess."

"Oh, ah.... We got married before the princess."

"But she didn't...." Gourry was interrupted by Lina stomping on his foot.

Reena raised an eyebrow. There was more to this particular story. Hopefully they would talk about it over food and wine. "What would you like to eat?"

"Food, and lots of it. I don't particularly care what it is at the moment, as long as it's enough to feed at least ten people."

Gourry nodded. "Sounds good to me."

Reena smiled. "People after my own heart."

Lina was very tempted to make a joke about the woman's waistline, but didn't want to risk losing her meal.

The plates had piled up and the pair had devoured enough food to feed forty. Reena was upset that they hadn't spoken much about anything, even after downing a couple bottles of their strongest wine. 

The newlyweds were now ready for bed, however there was only one key for them. A key that went to one room with one bed. A bed they were both meant to sleep on.

This was her wedding night. She was married to Gourry and they were supposed to sleep with each other. While she hadn't really thought about marriage, she had more than a few dreams about the wedding night.

After Towermere attacked them, she hadn't thought once about getting it annulled. She hated that the old priest was insisting some 'divine message' claimed Gourry had to marry another girl. He promised to protect her for the rest of his life and he couldn't do that married to someone else. She didn't want to give up Gourry, but if she were to annul it that would give Towermere more ability to force his will. Not annulling it meant that tonight was her wedding night and she was supposed to sleep with her husband. Was she ready for that?

"Excuse me. Can I talk to you dear?" Reena asked.

Lina looked up, shrugged, and followed Reena into the kitchen.

"You're scared," Reena said simply.

"No, I'm not!" Lina snapped.

Reena crossed her arms. "This is going to be your first time being with a guy, right?"

"Well... yes. I'm kind of _nervous_ about that."

"It is scary doing it for the first time. Has anyone explained what it's like?"

Lina nodded. "I've had a few friends tell me and I do have some idea what it's like. It's just that I'm worried about... complications."

"Oh, complications." Reena smiled gently. "What I wouldn't do to have a 'complication' in my life. Dear, if you love that man then there is no problem in the world you can't face. And children are never a problem, they're a blessing."

"I'm still worried... and I'm not sure if we really love each other."

"Tell me, do you know how far you would go for him?"

"How far?" Lina looked down at the floor. "Well... I was willing to risk destroying the entire planet in an attempt to kill Hellmaster Fibrizo because he was going to kill Gourry."

Reena blinked. "How far would he go for you?"

"According to Amelia, he was willing to challenge the Lord of Nightmares to get me back when I sort of became his avatar."

Reena clucked. "Dear, if that isn't love, then it doesn't exist." The overweight chef started to walk away and glanced back. Her mind tried to process that this petite girl, who was scared about her wedding night, was the same person responsible for the death of Hellmaster, and was failing. The girl was probably lying, but she seemed to be telling the truth. "May I ask what your maiden name was?"

"Inverse."

Reena swallowed. "Lina Inverse?"

Lina nodded.

Okay, maybe the petite red-head was responsible. Well, as long as her inn survived the sorceress's stay, it wasn't any real concern for her. "Um, have the best night of your life."

"Best night of my life? If this isn't love, it doesn't exist?" Lina tried to steady herself and walked out of the kitchen. "Come on, Gourry. I-it's time to go to s-sleep."

Gourry picked up the key from the table and then nearly dropped it. He didn't know much about the wedding night since his mom had never explained all of it, but he knew something special was suppose to happen. Lina had to know what it was, since she knew almost everything else. He just hoped she'd tell him what it was.

-------------------*

Towermere had reached his cathedral late at night and spent the rest of it healing his wounds. The following morning he walked up to the altar of Ceiphied and made a prayer. He then pulled out an amulet from the altar. He looked carefully at the amulet and then at the image of his lord. With a look of determination, he put the amulet on.

There was no way to defeat someone with Lina's level of skill without help but, with Ceiphied's guidance and the amulet, she would not get away with her blasphemy. 

Towermere held the amulet and looked at it again. If only this was one of Ceiphied's artifacts and not an unholy item of the mazoku race. He didn't like having to use the amulet, but without it he'd have no chance to defeat Lina.

-------------------*

Author's Notes:

If you want to know what happened during the rest of the wedding night, read[: Lemon! A Girl's Fantasy Comes True!][1] http://www.fanfiction.net/index.fic/?action=story-read&storyid=119475 This is a hentai NC-17 side-story and not necessary to read to understand the rest of the series.

The area that Slayers occurs in is very similar to medieval Europe. Back then, only important families had family names and it was not unlikely that a knight's only distinction past his personal name is to be a son or descendant of an important individual. By extension, it is possible to use this to apply to peasants in the Slayers verse.

Special thanks to everyone who has preread and/or has given C&C for this series so far; especially Michael A. Chase, Jussi Nikander, Harold Ancell, JJang, and HPackrat.

Towermere's additions to the Slayers spell book so far:

Death Vision

Category: White Magic

Replays visually in the caster's mind the final moments of a recently deceased individual. The spell will not reveal anything that the dead person was not able to see. The spell does not give any of the other senses to the caster, so he will not be able to hear anything that the dead person had heard just before he died.

Force Wall

Category: White Magic

This spell erects a one way barrier in front of the mage that blocks magical and physical attacks. It will defend against all but the most powerful spells. It's main weakness, besides using a lot of magical energy to cast, comes from that a low level spell or even a fist can cause almost as much damage as a larger spell. A spell that causes multiple hits or arrows from a group of attacking archers will count each hit separately and not one for the entire group. 

   [1]: http://www.fanfiction.net/index.fic/?action=story-read&storyid=119475



	3. Clash! The Love That Hates Justice.

The Slayers: Reward  
  
Chapter 3: Clash! The Love That Hates Justice!  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The Slayers belong to Hajime Kanazaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, SOFTX, Software Sculptures Ltd., and many others. I do not own them. I'm only borrowing them. I'll return them as quickly as I can since Lina and Gourry are eating away bank account.  
  
This begins a few months after Slayers: Try. There are a few spoilers in this, but I won't specifically explain anything, but I will refer to them. If you don't want even vague spoilers, I suggest that you don't read this.  
  
Lime Warning: The series gets a bit lime from this point on. Nothing detailed, but occasional references to sexual relations and innuendoes occur.  
  
Note on magic: Spirit magic verses normal humans. Humans can be harmed by spiritual magic, since people do have a spirit. Elmekia Lance is noted as being able to only stun a person because it doesn't do much damage, while Elmekia Flame and stronger spirit attacks can potentially kill. These spells are not only effective against ghosts and mazoku; they are just the normal targets of this spell group. People are rarely attacked with spirit magic since other schools of magic can be more effective and the damage is harder to heal.  
  
-------------------*  
  
The sun peeked through the window. Lina tried to hide from it and rolled over. Nicely shielded from the light by a large bare chest, she started to drift back asleep.  
  
Bare chest?  
  
Lina's eyes shot open and she squealed in fright. She backed away from the guy and fell off the bed.  
  
"Uh?" Gourry blearily sat up and looked down at Lina. "Why are you on the floor?"  
  
Lina's mind began to process the information. She was lying nude on the floor, Gourry was in the bed that she had slept in, she doubted that he was wearing any clothes, and she was pretty sure that she wasn't a virgin anymore.  
  
Lina began to smack the back of her head into the floor repeatedly.  
  
"Lina?"  
  
Lina stopped and looked at him. "I'm fine. I'm just trying to get used to us being married."  
  
"By pounding your head into the floor?"  
  
"Let's just say I feel like a Gabriev and need some intelligence slammed into my head."  
  
Gourry smiled since Lina finally used his family name. He reached down and picked her up, bringing her back into the bed.  
  
Lina scowled. "What are you doing?"  
  
"Well, I was told the 'wedding night' tended to last a few days."  
  
"Gourry," Lina said, annoyed.  
  
"Gourry!" she squeaked.  
  
"Gourry...." she moaned.  
  
-------------------*  
  
"Have you seen Lina Inverse?"  
  
"Inverse?" Reena thought for a second. "Nope. Never met anyone with that name."  
  
"How about a blond swordsman called Gourry Gabriev?" The knight crossed his arms, which caused his silver pauldrons to flash light briefly into the cook's face.  
  
Reena answered with a shrug. The handsome muscular knight with the distinguished graying black hair may be the captain of Edo's knights, as his shoulder guards indicated, but giving a straight answer to that question would not be good for her inn.  
  
"Captain Marcus, do you think they avoided this town?" a knight asked.  
  
"It would appear that way, and that would be the wisest course of action for them."  
  
"Where do we go next?"   
  
Marcus thought for a moment. "I'm not sure we're done here yet."  
  
A shadow scowled at them as they left. Once they were gone, she approached the kitchen.  
  
"Good afternoon, Misses Gabriev. I trust you had a wonderful night." Reena smiled.  
  
Lina blushed. "You could say that."  
  
"You had better keep a low profile. The knights are searching for you and your husband."  
  
"Gourry could fight them in his sleep and he's less dangerous than I am."  
  
Reena nodded. "You have a point. But it still would be a little inconvenient considering that you are on your honeymoon. Besides, I'd rather you didn't get into a fight while you stayed here."  
  
Lina laughed nervously. "Ah, right. Anyway, I'd like to order some food."  
  
"Twelve portions of the honeymoon special sound good?"  
  
"Honeymoon special?"  
  
Reena grinned. "My personal recipe to help recover from a passionate night and give the energy needed to go at it again."  
  
Lina sweat-dropped. "Well, I guess that'll be good."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Lina checked over her clothes. "Ready?"  
  
"I guess, but why do we have to leave now? It's the middle of the night."  
  
"Besides the fact that we've slept for most of the day, I'd rather not get into a fight here."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Because, pudding-head, Reena helped us a lot and I don't want to wreck her inn."  
  
"Oh." Gourry followed Lina out of the second story window and into the nearby woods. "Why aren't we going to get the horses?"  
  
Lina scowled back. "Because the knights must have found them by now and probably have set up a trap."  
  
"Like that one?"  
  
Lina looked at what Gourry was pointing at; a large pot roast cooked to perfection hung from a tree. "Like I would fall for something that cheesy."  
  
"I don't see any cheese on it." Gourry's eyes scanned the area. "We've got company."  
  
"Yep. Not much to this group. Hey, Captain, get your butt over here and we'll talk! If you try to attack us, your men will end up dead!"  
  
Marcus approached them. "Do not take my soldiers lightly. They are among the best in the land."  
  
"So?" Lina shook her head. "Listen, Captain, let's make this an honor duel. You fight Gourry and if you win I'll annul my marriage to him."  
  
Marcus smirked. "If I lose?"  
  
Gourry looked at Lina with a confused expression. "You said not to...."  
  
Lina smacked him. "Annul, as in to end, not anal, as in ass."   
  
Gourry looked even more confused. "Isn't your ass and your end the same thing?"  
  
Lina punched her husband into a tree. "Anyway, Captain, if you lose, you and your knights stop chasing after us and let us live our life."  
  
Marcus watched Gourry staggered back to Lina. "What if I don't agree to this challenge?"  
  
"Simple, I'll change the map again by making a nice little lake here. The Princess might decide to honor you by naming it after you since you would be dead."  
  
Marcus had heard the rumors concerning this sorceress, but felt they were grossly exaggerated. There was still the point that she was a powerful spellcaster and some of his men would probably die in a fight against her. Especially considering that these two had already fought Towermere and some of his men and won. Marcus drew his sword. "I accept the challenge."  
  
"He's all yours."   
  
Gourry nodded and drew his sword. "You go first."  
  
"As you wish." Marcus charged forward and thrusted his sword towards Gourry's stomach.  
  
Gourry casually deflected the blade and made a minor cut to the captain's armor.  
  
Marcus growled angrily. The idiot was playing him for a fool. He slashed at Gabriev, but was parried and cut again.  
  
"You might want to give up now." Gourry blocked another attack and added another minor wound to the captain.  
  
The captain snarled in rage. "By Ceiphied, I will defeat you." His attack failed and he was hit again.  
  
"You sure about that?"  
  
"Positive," Marcus snapped. He then heard the sound of metal clattering onto the ground. He looked down and saw that his armor had been completely removed. "Why you...." The captain charged again, intent on planting the sword into his opponent's chest.  
  
Gourry disarmed Marcus and held his sword tip under the captain's chin. "I really think you should give up."  
  
Marcus looked down at the blade and gulped. "Perhaps it is not Ceiphied's will that you marry the princess."  
  
"Finally some intelligence," Lina chirped. "Make sure you tell all your knights that."  
  
Marcus fell to his knees; thankful to be alive but not looking forward to explaining to Towermere why his knights could not go after the Gabrievs.  
  
Lina began to walk off. "Come on, Gourry."  
  
"Um, Lina, if they're not chasing after us anymore, perhaps we can stay at the inn a few more days."  
  
"I created a monster!" Lina glared at her husband. "Listen, dick for brains, we still have Towermere coming after us. While I wouldn't mind spending a few days in a locked room with you, now isn't exactly the best time. Now let's go."  
  
Gourry pouted and followed her.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Lina smiled as she went through the local shops. Since they were now a week away from Edo and only a few days away from Sailoon, she felt it would be okay to stay here for a couple days. Hopefully Towermere had already given up on them, considering they hadn't seen him.  
  
She still couldn't believe she was married now. What was more was how little things had changed. Sure, she was sleeping with Gourry, he couldn't get enough sex, and she now had to be worried about getting pregnant, but everything else was pretty much the same as it had been before. He was still an idiot and she still insulted him. As for when they'd stop adventuring and settle down was when her spells went away for more than a few days.  
  
Lina shivered at the thought of no spells, pregnancy and soon to become 'Mommy Lina.' That had better be a couple years away, as she was not ready for that. But with Gourry there, she believed she could handle being a parent.  
  
At the moment, there was technically one thing that was different. Gourry wasn't with her, but that was because she had exhausted him into slumber. A little shopping would help keep her busy until he woke up.  
  
"I've finally found you."  
  
Lina groaned. "Why, hello Towermere. I thought you had given up."  
  
"I can not rest until the word of Ceiphied has been fulfilled."  
  
"You've been reading it wrong."  
  
"Hardly. The marriage was not meant to take place."  
  
"Says you."  
  
"It must be annulled."  
  
"Not a chance in hell."  
  
"Why do you insist on this?"  
  
"Why do YOU keep butting your head in where it doesn't belong?!"  
  
"Do not make him a widower. I do not want to have to...."  
  
"High Priest of Ceiphied, how can you seek to destroy a marriage born of love? For Miss Lina to defend it, it must be true love indeed! Love is the noblest and strongest of emotions. So why, WHY must you try to destroy it? If you persist in this vile quest, you will have to face me as well!"  
  
"Amelia?!" Lina chirped in surprise.   
  
"Hi, Miss Lina!" Amelia jumped down from a nearby roof. The princess looked like she added another couple centimeters to her height since the last time Lina had seen her and seemed to be missing her left bracelet.   
  
Lina's eyes took an evil glint. "Hey, Towermere, do you know who she is? She's Princess Amelia Wil Tesla Sailoon! If you don't get off our case, she can cause political trouble for Edo."  
  
Amelia looked rather sheepishly at Lina. "Um, perhaps there's something you should know."  
  
"Princess Amelia? My how you've grown." Towermere smiled. "Your father has been looking for you. He wants you to go back home."  
  
Amelia glared at the priest. "Forget it, Teacher. I'm not going back."  
  
"Teacher?" Lina didn't like the sound of that.  
  
"You have to go back. By law you have to...."  
  
"Dad can take that damn law and shove it up his justice loving ass!" Amelia screamed.  
  
Lina face-faulted hard enough to leave a crater. Daddy's little justice freak said that?! Gravel fell out of her hair as she leapt into Amelia's face. "All right, who the hell are you?"  
  
Towermere's eyes bulged out of his head and he looked like he swallowed his tongue.  
  
"It is me, Miss Lina. I've just had a bit of an argument with my Dad." The anger from her outburst had not completely left her voice.  
  
"Must be some argument to make you say that."  
  
"Ahem." Towermere called attention to himself. "Now, Princess Amelia, I would hope there is good reason for you to say something like that. I will help you after I have dealt with her." The priest turned towards the red-haired sorceress. "Lina Inverse, the marriage must end."  
  
"That's Lina Gabriev to you, and I will NOT end it!" Flames formed in the sorceress's hands.  
  
Amelia added another crater to the street as she face faulted. She then got up and placed a glowing white hand on Lina's stomach. She was surprised that the glow didn't change color. "You're not pregnant? If you didn't rush to marry Mr. Gourry because of that, then why didn't you try to contact me? I wanted to be your maid of honor."  
  
Lina scowled. "The wedding wasn't something I had planned on happening. I don't have time to explain it now."  
  
Towermere folded his arms. "If you wish to resolve this matter in your usual style, let's take this outside of the city."  
  
Lina nodded. "Fine by me."  
  
"I'm with you, Mrs. Lina."  
  
Lina grimaced.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Towermere faced off against the two sorceresses. "Lina, I beg you reconsider. I do not wish to hurt you, but Ceiphied's will must be upheld."  
  
Lina folded her arms. "Riiiight. Tell me another one, Towermere. I'm not going to lose Gourry because of what some priest says. I wouldn't if Ceiphied came here personally."  
  
"Such blasphemy."  
  
"And you're still so full of yourself." Amelia pointed at Towermere. "Great Ceiphied is a lover of life and would not bring heartache by destroying love!"  
  
"Princess Amelia?! How can you say such a thing?"  
  
"I'm not a little kid who'll listen to you spout your one-sided view of the world! Since I met Mrs. Lina, I've learned that not everything is clearly right or wrong."  
  
Lina looked amazed at Amelia. What in the four worlds happened to her in the past couple months?  
  
Towermere shook his head. "Amelia, you are a princess of Sailoon, the capital of white magic. Lina is the strongest user of BLACK magic known. So, why are you helping her?"  
  
"Because Lina and Gourry are my friends, and they belong together for they have found true love! Just because Mrs. Lina is a black sorceress changes nothing. She does more good for people in a month than you have done in your entire life!"  
  
"This dark sorceress has had a negative effect on you. I must help you correct your ways. Laphas Seed."  
  
Amelia was about to retort as bans of energy wrapped around her, one of them covering her mouth.  
  
Lina scowled. "That was hardly a nice thing to do."  
  
"It is your fault that Princess Amelia has abandoned her place."  
  
"I had nothing to do with that. But, it is an improvement."  
  
"It is time someone set you straight. Elmekia Lance!" A beam of light shot out of the priest's hand.  
  
Lina scowled as she dodged. She wished Princess Alicia hadn't made her promise not to kill Towermere. He was asking to be fried to a crisp. "Fireball!"  
  
The blast subsided and Towermere wasn't even singed. "Elmekia Flame!"   
  
"What the?!" Lina rolled under the large beam of spiritual light, but was at a loss. How did Towermere defend against that spell? He didn't have a shield spell up. "Burst Flare!"  
  
A pillar of fire erupted where Towermere stood, but after the flames subsided the priest had not moved. "As you can tell, your magic is useless. Give up now."  
  
"Dynast Brass!"  
  
A pentagram formed around Towermere and then lightning crashed through the area inside of it. The priest did not seem fazed at all. "Lina Inverse. You must give up this foolishness. You are acting against our god's will. Annul your marriage to Sir Gourry."  
  
Screw the promise. "Darkness of twilight. Crimson beyond blood that flows."  
  
"That won't work."  
  
"Buried in the sands of time is where thy power grows."  
  
Towermere sighed. He wasn't sure what spell Lina was casting, but believed it to be her Dragon Slave spell. If it was, it simply would not work against him.  
  
"In thy great name, I pledge myself to darkness! Those who oppose us shall be destroyed by the power you and I posses! Dragon Slave!"  
  
Fiery death and destruction raged. The blast wave shook the nearby city with the tremendous power of the explosion. As the smoke cleared, Towermere remained standing in a crater with soot covering his entire body.   
  
"Ouch." Okay, so maybe the spell wasn't completely ineffective, but he was still strong enough to continue the fight. "Won't you concede this now? You've lost."  
  
"Never," Lina growled. The old goat had found some way to protect himself. Well, she wasn't about to let that geezer win even if her spells were useless. She could still pound him into submission with her fists.  
  
Seeing the deadly intent in Lina's eyes, Towermere began to gather energy into his hands.  
  
Amelia wanted to shout or scream, but remained rooted to her spot. She knew what spell Towermere was going to cast and there was no way Lina could survive it.  
  
"Please accede to Ceiphied's will."  
  
"I will not lose Gourry!" Lina lunged at the priest. Her eyes widened as noticed his glowing hands.  
  
Towermere shut his eyes. "Ra Tilt!"  
  
The area surrounding Lina was filled with a blinding light.  
  
"NO!" Amelia cried out, breaking the spell. She began to cry, not wanting to believe that Lina was dead.  
  
Towermere refused to look at where Lina had been. He didn't want to do that, but he had to follow what he believed was right.  
  
"Was that your best shot?"  
  
"What?!" Towermere and Amelia shouted.  
  
Lina scowled at the priest, seemingly surrounded by some kind of shadowy aura. "Why don't YOU go away? You can't hurt me with your spells and I can't hurt you with mine. However, I can still beat you to a bloody pulp." She shook her fist in emphasis.  
  
"I shall not. I can not let your blasphemy continue! Sir Gourry must marry the princess!"  
  
Amelia's eyes bulged out. "I don't want to marry him! Besides, I don't even remember him on the list."  
  
Lina looked over at Amelia and frowned, but said nothing. While her spell blocked most of the damage to her spirit, Ra Tilt still hurt like a bitch and could use the time Amelia would use arguing to heal.  
  
"I didn't mean you, but Princess Alicia."  
  
"Oh. But that still doesn't change that Mr. Gourry belongs with Mrs. Lina!"  
  
Towermere folded his arms. "Princess Amelia, listen to me. Sir Gourry has completed Ceiphied's quest to defeat the dragon Grimhill. The quest was given to find the next prince of Edo. He must marry Princess Alicia!"  
  
'...Amelia, listen to me...' echoed in the princess's mind, but the voice belonged to her father. "But why?!" Amelia screeched. "Shouldn't Cousin Alicia and Mr. Gourry have a say in this? You want them to marry each other out of some stupid obligation supposedly written by Ceiphied."  
  
"Supposedly? My dear princess, you must not challenge this. If we do not follow Ceiphied's guidance, people might suffer. It is our duty to do what is needed of ourselves. We must do what is right."  
  
"Not challenge this?!" Amelia growled. "Our duty?!" Her hand shook. "Do what is right?!" The princess stomped toward the priest. "That's the exact damned self-righteous garbage Daddy told me!" Her hands were engulfed in magical energy just as she threw the first punch.  
  
Of course Towermere was protected against the magical enhancement of Amelia's punches. However, being struck one hundred and sixty-nine times was more than enough to knock him into blissful slumber.  
  
Lina walked up to the winded princess. "You did good there. Now tell me about what happened between you and your father. He tried to engage you off to some prince, didn't he?"  
  
Amelia sadly glanced at Lina. "Sort of. Can we go somewhere first? The local soldiers will move in to investigate soon."  
  
"Sure. We can go to the inn where Gourry and I are staying. Hopefully, we won't have to explain things more than once to him."  
  
Amelia smiled lightly. "You really shouldn't insult your husband."  
  
Lina smirked. "Gourry wouldn't know what to do if I stopped."  
  
-------------------*  
  
"And that's how I married yogurt brains, here." Lina crossed her arms and peered down at the princess sitting on the floor of her chairless room at the inn. "Now it's your turn."  
  
"Amelia is getting married?" Gourry asked.  
  
Lina smacked him on the head.  
  
"That isn't what Mrs. Lina meant." Amelia sighed as she sipped some coffee. What does Zelgadis see in this stuff? "Well, my problem comes in the form of a law that no one bothered to tell me about until a couple weeks ago. Though they have been pushing it on me since I got back after the fight against Valgaav."  
  
"So what does this law say?" Lina prompted.  
  
"That a princess must be married by her sixteenth birthday by someone approved by the noble council of Sailoon or she will forfeit her right to claim the throne."  
  
"I see." Lina nodded. "They want to insure that the princess has a guy to rule with and is capable of producing an heir. And since your sixteenth birthday is in a few months, they're starting to apply the pressure."  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Lina raised an eyebrow. "How far is Princess Alicia from Sailoon's throne?"  
  
"Even though she is only a fourth cousin of mine, recent incidents have caused her to be fourth in line as long as she marries before her sixteenth birthday next year." Amelia stirred her coffee while trying not to remember her part in removing her Uncle Randy or what happened to her Cousin Christopher. "That was close enough to prompt her nobles to request a divine prophecy to discover if she would be capable of sitting on Sailoon's throne, and they actually got a response which had to deal with her marrying someone who will slay a dragon."  
  
"Which numskull did."  
  
Gourry scratched his head. "Did what?"   
  
Amelia set her coffee down. "Anyway, it also explained why my sister ran away. She was too freewilled and would never settle for a noble dad picked out nor be cooped up with political work."  
  
"Glad I didn't marry a prince." Lina leaned toward the princess. "As for your father's list of candidates... Zelgadis wasn't on it."  
  
"No." Amelia's head hung sadly.  
  
"Did you suggest him?"  
  
Amelia nodded.  
  
"What did your father say?"  
  
"That Mr. Zelgadis can't be my husband since he's a chimera. Even if he could father children, that they might be chimeras too. And that the noble council would never approve of someone who wasn't human."  
  
Lina grimaced. "Don't repeat that to Zel, he'd beat Phil into a bloody pulp."  
  
"I don't know how to explain any of this to Mr. Zelgadis." Amelia held up her right arm. "I gave him one of my bracelets promising that I'd wait for him while he searched for his cure. But if Dad has his say, I'll be married to Uncle Alfred next week."  
  
"Your uncle?!" Lina hopped off the bed. "Is he nuts?"  
  
"I always thought he was a bit insane."  
  
Lina stared at Gourry. He actually made the correct association, but did so rudely.  
  
Amelia shut her eyes. "You might be right, Mr. Gourry. When I tried to talk Daddy out of it, he went on a long speech about how justice would be served by me getting married, if not to Uncle Alfred, then to some other noble." Tears started to streak down her cheeks. "I couldn't do it. I couldn't follow what my father said, because I knew he was wrong."  
  
"I won't ask how your father made forcing you to get married sound like it would be good for justice. He could do that to anything." Lina frowned at the sobbing princess, not entirely sure what to do. She hated to be in the role of big sister, especially since it reminded her of Luna.  
  
Amelia nodded. "I didn't know what I could do to stop Daddy except by running away."  
  
"So where were you planning on going?"  
  
"To find Mr. Zelgadis. I was hoping... even though I know he's not... the council wouldn't...." Amelia couldn't hold back her tears anymore.  
  
Lina gathered the princess into a hug, wishing she knew what to do. "Well... we'll all go looking for Zel and then we will find some way of fixing your mess."  
  
Amelia sniffed while she pulled away. "But what about your problems with High Priest Towermere?"  
  
"He's just an annoyance. He can't do much against me." Lina smirked. "We leave first thing in the morning to find Zel!"  
  
Gourry nodded his approval.  
  
Amelia wiped away a few of her tears. "Thank you, Mrs. Lina."  
  
"Do you have any clues as to where he is?"  
  
"Um, a merchant said he saw Mr. Zelgadis in Caldon a few days ago."  
  
Lina blinked. "We were in Caldon a few days ago."  
  
"Well, we were only at the inn. We could have missed him." Gourry place his hand on his wife's ass.  
  
Lina blushed as she whacked Gourry on the back of his head. "That's not the point."  
  
Amelia's face became red. "I'd better go rent a room for the night. Goodnight." She ran out of the room quickly and hoped to get a room on the other end of the inn.  
  
Gourry smiled.  
  
"You don't have to go yeee... Gourry!" Lina screeched as her husband pulled her closer. "Couldn't you have waited a little longer."  
  
"No." Gourry kissed her.  
  
Amelia was already gone, so there was no reason to fight this. She returned his kiss.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Amelia cover her head with a pillow. The noises in the next room were driving her up the wall. She knew it was natural for them to do this, but four times! At least she thought it was four times considering that was the number of times she clearly heard Gourry groan. Lina wasn't a good reference considering how much noise she was making. They had been going at it almost non-stop for the past two hours, and showed little sign of stopping. If only she had gotten a room sooner and had not been stuck with the one next to the Gabrievs.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Thanks to those who pre-read this chapter, particularly Michael Chase, JJang, and Jason The Unbegotten Source.  
  
Added spell:  
Dark Shroud  
Category: Black  
One of the few defensive black spells. It surrounds the caster in a black aura that protects against white and spirit magic. This does nothing against black magic, any shaman magic besides spirit nor against physical attacks. The spell takes a lot to cast and maintain, and there aren't many white spells that can be used offensively so this spell is rather rare due to its limited use.  



	4. Talk. Simply Too Much Information

The Slayers: Reward  
  
Chapter 4: Talk? Simply Too Much Information  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The Slayers belong to Hajime Kanazaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, SOFTX, Software Sculptures Ltd., and many others. I do not own them. I'm only borrowing them. I'll return them as quickly as I can since Lina and Gourry are eating away bank account.  
  
This begins a few months after Slayers: Try. There are a few spoilers in this, but I won't specifically explain anything, but I will refer to them. If you don't want even vague spoilers, I suggest that you don't read this.  
  
Lime Warning: The series gets a bit lime from this point on. Nothing detailed, but occasional references to sexual relations and innuendoes occur.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Amelia found new hope to solve her problems on the open road. With Lina and Gourry Gabriev there to help her, she was sure to find a way to get everything she wanted. Though she still had a hard time grasping that those two had gotten married. After avoiding even the idea of being a couple for so long, for those two to end up married because Towermere tried to force Gourry to marry someone else was a bit too much for the princess.  
  
As for the problems Amelia faced, the best solution she could see was Zelgadis being cured, and them getting married so she could keep her place as Princess of Sailoon. Not to mention find some way to make Towermere stop trying to force Gourry away from Lina.  
  
If Zelgadis didn't find a cure soon though, she'd have to make a choice. To pick some noble to marry or give up the throne. She didn't want either. Truthfully she didn't even want to marry Zelgadis yet. She was only fifteen and felt marriage should wait. Law, unfortunately, said otherwise. Besides, she didn't know if things could work out with Zelgadis even if she was allowed to marry him. Sure they knew each other pretty well, but marriage meant they would have to know each other a lot more intimately.  
  
"Hey, Amelia?"  
  
Amelia snapped out of her thoughts. "Yes, Mrs. Lina?"  
  
Lina would've cringed at the 'Mrs.' but that was the Nth time the princess had said it. "What can you tell me about Towermere? He used to be your teacher, right?"  
  
Amelia nodded. "Yes. He was my primary teacher of magic, particularly of the spells the sorcerer guilds won't teach."  
  
"Like sleeping and unlock?"  
  
Gourry scratched his head. "Why wouldn't they teach those spells?"  
  
Lina sighed. "Those spells can be easily used to steal."  
  
"Yes. And those spells are reserved only for those with just...." Amelia suddenly looked down and fought the tears in her eyes. "They're taught to only certain individuals like high priests, princes, and princesses that would not resort to stealing. Though only princes and princess of religious cities like Sailoon, Edo and Femille would be taught since certain kingdoms like Zoana might misuse them."  
  
"I doubt Martina could cast white magic if she wanted to."  
  
"Anyway, as you know Towermere is a specialist in white and spirit shaman magic. He is so specialized that he can't cast any spell from the other schools. Even low level fire spells like Flare Bit is beyond him."  
  
Lina rubbed her chin. "So that's why he's using astral spells against me. They're the only offensive spells he's got."  
  
"Besides a few white magic ones that can be used to immobilize you."  
  
Lina scoffed. "Wouldn't work. Luna used those against me waaaay too many times."  
  
Amelia blinked. "Your sister knows white magic?" From what Lina and Filia said about Luna, she thought that she was a black sorceress like Lina.  
  
"She ought to. She's the Ceiphied Knight."  
  
Amelia's eyes bulged out. She tried to say something but couldn't figure out what.  
  
Gourry had somehow fallen asleep while he kept walking straight ahead.  
  
"Anyway, what else do you know about Towermere? Particularly about how he defended himself against my magic."  
  
Amelia shook her head. She would talk to Lina later about Luna. "Um, I don't know how he did that." She paused for a moment to think of anything that it could be. "Can't even remember him doing anything like that in Dad's stories."  
  
Lina blinked. "What stories?"  
  
"Dad has been adventuring off and on since he was fourteen. During some of the tougher fights, he got some help from Towermere."   
  
"Tell me what you can about those."  
  
Amelia shrugged. "The full stories or what I noticed from the stories?"  
  
"Just what you noticed for now."  
  
"Well, Dad has fought against mazoku from time to time. The worst of them was maybe as strong as Mazenda was. Towermere would avoid fighting anything but a mazoku. He would only stand back and heal any injuries. However, when the mazoku appeared, Towermere would wait until he could kill the monster with a Ra Tilt and defeat it then." Amelia sighed. "You know, I don't think any of the mazoku he killed ever thought he was a threat."  
  
"Sort of like Syphiel. Especially since she knows Dragon Slave now."  
  
"I still can't believe Ms. Syphiel can cast that."  
  
"Neither can I and I saw her do it." Lina almost laughed considering how ridiculous the notion was that a high level white mage could cast one of the most destructive black magic spells. Syphiel couldn't even cast flare arrow. However, that wasn't really important. "Has Towermere ever fought a human before?"  
  
"A few times and only because the person did some 'blasphemous' thing against Ceiphied." Amelia giggled a little. "I can remember one story where he started a bar room brawl just because a drunken mage said 'Ceiphied was a useless wimp.'"  
  
"He's rather touchy about that subject, huh?"  
  
"Very. You should see Dad and High Priest Towermere 'discuss' justice and Ceiphied. It tends to get rather messy after one of them claims one is more important than the other." Amelia shook her head.  
  
"Did they ever come to blows?"  
  
Amelia nodded. "A couple times after High Priest Towermere would say something rather negative about justice, Dad would punch him across the room."  
  
"Sounds like they're best friends," Lina remarked sarcastically.  
  
Amelia missed the sarcasm though. "Yes. That's why he was my teacher."  
  
Lina shook her head, and was grateful that they were going away from Sailoon. She looked at her husband and saw that he was sleepwalking. How she could love that idiot, she would never figure it out. But now was a good time to ask the princess something. "Amelia, I've got another question for you, but it's not about Towermere." Lina started to blush.  
  
"Oh?"   
  
"Um, I was wondering if you knew anything about... um... preventing pregnancy."  
  
Amelia blinked and then blushed. "Well... I know of a spell, but I don't know how to cast it."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"It blocks the monthly cycle."  
  
"It does?!" Lina chirped in surprise. "I've GOT to learn that."  
  
"No you don't. There is a few problems with it."  
  
"What could possibly to be wrong with that spell that I wouldn't want it?"  
  
"Because it would be a continuous drain on your magic, for one thing. Your ability to cast spells at any time would be cut in half. Not to mention that anyone who can detect magic would notice that you have a spell on you. You'd also be easier to track magically. Then there's the fact it takes a month of having the spell active before you can be sure that it will prevent pregnancy. Dropping the spell even for a moment might trigger a cycle to occur and then you'd have to wait another month before it becomes effective again."  
  
Lina had sagged with each point until her hands drooped to the ground. "You've made your point. Aren't there any other means?"  
  
"There's, um..." Amelia blushed intensely. "...intestine condoms."  
  
Lina looked sick. "Like I want some animal's guts shoved into me."  
  
Amelia sighed. "The other means is a spell that I do know, but I REALLY don't like it."  
  
"Oh, what is it?"  
  
"The spell was intended to be used on an injured fetus to heal it. However, the mage casting it must be careful not to put too much magic into it."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"It will cause a miscarriage."  
  
"I hope you know how to control it."  
  
"I don't. Towermere taught it to me in case I decided to 'experiment' with a page boy." Amelia clenched her fist. "He also taught me how to heal my hymen, so I'd be a 'virgin' for my 'noble husband.'"  
  
"Did you experiment?"  
  
"Of course not!" Amelia snapped.  
  
"Sorry." Lina held up her hands. "You don't like Towermere much, do you?"  
  
Amelia shrugged stiffly. "Actually, I kind of think of him as something of a grandfather."  
  
Lina shook her head.   
  
-------------------*  
  
The trip to Caldon was uneventful save that Zelgadis wasn't there anymore. He had been last seen going toward the village Talon. Once there, they discovered that he had been seen using the road to Gemi. At least a sorcerer-swordsman dressed in beige with blue skin tended to stick out like a sore thumb, otherwise following him would've been a lot harder.  
  
The sky was black with thunderclouds when Amelia and the Gabrievs made it to Gemi. The pouring rain obscured much of the town. The trio headed straight to the brightest source of light and went inside that building, which they were thankful the place was an inn.   
  
Lina shook off some water and her arm smacked something.  
  
The innkeeper looked down at the wet spot on his shirt. "Please use these towels."   
  
"Thanks!" Lina grabbed two of the towels and immediately started drying her hair. "First priorities are getting rooms and food. We'll worry about finding Zelgadis first thing in the morning."  
  
Amelia's face peeked out from under her towel and she pouted. "But Lina...."  
  
"You don't have to worry."  
  
The trio turned and looked at a nearby table. "Hi." Zelgadis waved at them and then sipped his coffee.   
  
Gourry waved back. "Hi, Zel."  
  
Amelia realized she was soaking wet. She must look like a drowned rat and she wanted to make a good impression. She wheeled around to the innkeeper. "I need a room NOW!"  
  
The innkeeper reflexively pulled out a set of keys.  
  
"Come on, we need to get out of these clothes." Amelia latched onto Lina's arm and dragged her off to the room.  
  
Zelgadis raised an eyebrow. "What was that about?"   
  
Gourry shrugged and went to the public toilet. A few minutes later, he returned looking dry and carrying a bag that made a 'splush' sound as it hit the ground. "So, how have things been?"  
  
Zelgadis wasn't surprised about how Gourry came out, considering he had a dozen identical blue outfits. "Good, I guess." Zelgadis then looked evenly at the swordsman. "Why are you guys looking for me?"  
  
"Amelia has some kind of problem she needs help with."  
  
"Oh?" Zelgadis sighed. Why did this happen now? "Gourry, I'd really like to help. But, I've got a good lead on a cure. I have to follow it."  
  
Gourry looked at Zelgadis blankly. "Oh, right. That's what we're supposed to do; help find your cure."  
  
Zelgadis smiled and took a drink of his coffee. If that was correct, he could use the help. Besides, being alone was rather boring, and he kind of missed them.  
  
"Yeah. We need to find your cure soon so you can marry Amelia." Gourry blinked as he was showered in a spray of coffee. "Why'd you do that?"  
  
"What did you say?!"  
  
"Why'd you do that?" Gourry repeated.  
  
"No, before that!" Zelgadis snapped.  
  
"Before that?" Gourry scratched his head. "When did I say 'before that?'"  
  
"Hey waiter, just start bringing out food! I'm starved!" Lina sat down. "Hi, Zel. How's it been?"  
  
Zelgadis shook his head. Gourry MUST have misheard something. "Good. I found a lead to a cure."  
  
"Really? You can tell us when Amelia gets here."  
  
"Tell us what?"  
  
Zelgadis turned and saw Amelia in a low cut blue and white dress that seemed more appropriate for a royal court than a tavern. Though if you change how some of the dress was cut, it could be appropriate for a high-class brothel. Zelgadis did not like the look of this. Well, he certainly liked how Amelia looked, however it added evidence to support what Gourry said.  
  
Lina poked Zelgadis. "Come on, spill it."  
  
Amelia smiled as she sat down next to Zelgadis.  
  
"Ahem." Zelgadis tried to stop looking toward Amelia. Especially since his eyes weren't on her face when he did. "Well, somewhere in the nearby woods is a mansion that belonged to a sorcerer two hundred years ago. I can't find out too much, but I think that it belonged to Rezo. If it is, I might be able to find his manuscripts on my curse there." He grinned slightly. "And I was just hired to clear out any magic or ghosts from the place."  
  
"If the mansion belonged to Rezo, wouldn't you own it now?" Amelia asked.  
  
Don't look down. Zelgadis tried to focus on her face. "No. If the place was Rezo's then the man who hired me would be my cousin."  
  
"Talk about family problems." Lina shook her head. "Seems we've had no shortage of those lately."  
  
"Oh?" Zelgadis questioned.  
  
"I hope this pleases you." The waiter arrived with two trays covered in the inn's most expensive dish.  
  
"Food!" Lina and Gourry chorused and dug in.  
  
Amelia was more reserved about it, but was too hungry not to eat quickly.  
  
Zelgadis sighed. "You'd better bring a lot more food and hurry up."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
Zelgadis resumed drinking his coffee and decided watching the storm outside would be better for him. He wondered if Amelia knew just how much cleavage that she was showing. He would like to find out what was going on, however talking at this point was beyond his companions.  
  
Lina didn't know if she should be pleased or annoyed at what Amelia was doing. She was doing what she could to attract Zelgadis's attention, which was good. However, she was doing it with the one thing that Lina truly envied about the princess, breast size. It had been a long time since Amelia's overdeveloped chest bothered Lina, but that was because the princess never flaunted it before.  
  
Amelia couldn't stop blushing. She knew that Zelgadis was trying not to look at her, and was failing. She didn't like being this brazen, but she didn't have much time. She had to speed up her relationship with Zelgadis.   
  
Gourry kept looking at Lina. He couldn't wait to go to bed.  
  
Lina faked a yawn after she finished eating. "Zel, you already have a room, right?"  
  
Zelgadis nodded.  
  
"Okay, I'll go see about getting another room. We can discuss everything tomorrow."  
  
Zelgadis raised an eyebrow. He had expected them to get two more rooms, so no one had to share.  
  
Lina got a little upset at the innkeeper and trudged back to the table. "Got a small problem. There are no more rooms left. Thankfully Amelia already got us one." Lina held up the key to that room. "Hope you don't mind sharing your room, Zel."  
  
Zelgadis shrugged. "Why should it matter to me?" Besides Goury tending to snore lightly and that he occasionally talked in his sleep, the chimera had very little problems with sharing a room. Amelia was the one with the problem considering that Lina was never a quiet individual, even when she slept.  
  
"Oh, good." Lina turned around and was quickly followed by Gourry. "See ya in the morning."  
  
Zelgadis looked questioningly at the pair.  
  
"Um, Mrs. Lina?"  
  
Lina stopped and turned around. "What?"  
  
Zelgadis mouthed, "Mrs.?"  
  
Amelia shyly played with her fingers. "We didn't explain anything that happened, particularly Edo."  
  
"Oops." Lina smiled sheepishly. "Well, Gourry and I got married while we were in Edo. We're still on our honeymoon, so we want to share a room. Which means you've got to share your room with Amelia. I know she doesn't mind that idea."  
  
Zelgadis stared at Lina and Gourry as they walked away. After they were out of sight, his stare turned toward Amelia who was sitting rather meekly and blushing. He got up and started to walk toward the door. "I'll be camping outside."  
  
Lightning from the raging storm flashed and thunder crashed almost at the same instant.  
  
Amelia latched onto his arm. "Mr. Zelgadis you don't have to do that!"  
  
"Yes, I do. I'm a chimera, so the weather won't bother me."  
  
"Yes, it can. It might be harder for you to get sick, but you've been sick before."  
  
Zelgadis tried to pull his arm away from her. "What would your father say about you sleeping with a guy in your room?" What would Phil do to him? The guy can kill brass demons with his bare hands, and that was not supposed to be possible.  
  
Amelia held on tight. "I don't care what Dad has to say."  
  
Zelgadis looked at her in shock. "You don't care?"  
  
"No, I don't." Amelia sighed. "There are some things I need to explain to you."  
  
Zelgadis nodded and let Amelia drag him back to the table. He was not happy when she ordered a few pitchers of ale. This was not going to be good.  
  
"Where to begin?" Amelia took a long swig of the ale. She grimaced at its taste.  
  
"Try from the beginning."  
  
Amelia shrugged and took another long drink. "Well, after we got back from fighting Valgaav, I noticed that the royal suitors started to get really persistent. I didn't find out until a couple weeks ago that I have to be married before I'm sixteen or I'll lose the throne."  
  
"What?!" Zelgadis nearly fell out of his chair.  
  
"Some stupid law that no one told me 'bout." Amelia poured herself another glass of ale. "I've got to be married to someone approved by the noble council or I won't be able to sit on Sailoon's throne."  
  
"You don't think that I...."  
  
Amelia slammed down her now half-empty glass. "It doesn't matter. Unless we find you a cure, the noble council won't approve you."  
  
Zelgadis didn't know if he should be relieved or upset about that. "But even if we do find a cure, I'm not ready to get married."  
  
"I'm not ready either, but I'm not getting very many choices in this." Amelia started to pour her third glass when she noticed something. "Hey, you're not drinking."  
  
"I don't like to drink." Zelgadis couldn't remember what happened the last time he got drunk but, according to Zolf, he sang some weird song. 'I'm a merry little teapot,' indeed-- Zolf was probably joking.  
  
"A couple drinks won't hurt," Amelia pleaded.  
  
When Amelia did that she leaned forward and showed a bit too much of her cleavage. Zelgadis took his glass and drank a little.  
  
"Goood." Amelia smiled. She needed to get him drunk and then let nature play. That way he couldn't argue about not being ready to get married. She emptied her third glass. She kind of liked how the ale tasted. "Do you want to know how Lina and Gourry got married?"  
  
"Ah, sure." As long as it got off the subject of him getting married to Amelia, he didn't care.  
  
"Well, seems Mrs. Lina got into a fight with a dragon and got hurt. Mr. Gourry got upset and killed it. Problem is that Cousin 'Licia has a prophecy that she would marry the man who had slain that dragon. Cousin 'Licia didn't want ta marry Mr. Gourry so she got Mrs. Lina to switch placeses at wedding. High Priesty Towermere got upset since he's stuck up on Ceiphied and is now chasing after them. Mrs. Lina ain't worried 'bout him. She can defend herself 'gainst even Ra Tilt and and white magic since her sister is the Ceiphied Knight and used that stuff on her before."  
  
Zelgadis knew he should have done something to stop Amelia from drinking. Especially since she just decided to forget the glass and drink from the pitcher. He grabbed her arm. "I think you've had enough."  
  
Amelia pouted. "I think you haven't had 'nough." She thrusted the pitcher toward him. "Drink."  
  
"Now, Amelia...."  
  
"Drink!"  
  
"Please...."  
  
Amelia stood up and then fell forward.  
  
Zelgadis caught her. "You really should...."  
  
"Sleep," Amelia muttered and then was out cold.  
  
Zelgadis shook his head. Combining alcohol with the ability to rapidly consume food was not a good thing. Amelia got drunk faster than anyone he'd seen except for the one poor idiot he met whose wife left the guy for the guy's sister. He picked up the princess and started to carry her back to his room.  
  
Amelia seemed to wake up briefly. She cuddled closer to his chest. "Love you, Zelly."  
  
Zelgadis blushed madly. That was the alcohol talking. He looked down at the slumbering princess. And that dress she was wearing had magically replaced her normal clothes. Who was he kidding? He knew her better than that.  
  
"I don't need this," Zelgadis muttered.  
  
Amelia's body twitched and she threw up.  
  
"Gods, I didn't need that!" Zelgadis carried Amelia into his room and placed her against the wall. He then took a towel to clean the vomit off her, and then himself. He went to the bed and placed the pillows on the floor at the corner of the bed next to the wall. He then propped Amelia against the pillows in a sitting position in case she threw up again.   
  
Zelgadis changed his clothes, praying Amelia wouldn't wake up while he was doing that. He slipped into bed and placed his hand on her shoulder.   
  
This was not how he wanted to meet Amelia again. Preferably it would have happened after he was cured and they would then start a normal courtship. Of course, he seriously doubted that would have happened, but it had been a nice dream. At least this wasn't the worst case scenario, but it came close.  
  
Zelgadis blushed as he heard noises coming from a few doors down. His keen hearing was sometimes a curse, and hearing Lina and Gourry making love was something he could do without. He wasn't truly surprised that those two had gotten married since he thought it should have happened a long time ago. But how was he supposed to sleep with them doing that?  
  
-------------------*  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Thanks to my pre-readers: Hpackrat, Michael A. Chase, and Jacob Lavelle Marin. Also thanks to everyone who has sent any comments on this series, and to you for reading this.  
  



	5. Move Out! The Start Of A New Mission.

The Slayers: Reward  
  
Chapter 5: Move Out! The Start Of A New Mission.  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The Slayers belong to Hajime Kanazaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, SOFTX, Software Sculptures Ltd., and many others. I do not own them. I'm only borrowing them. I'll return them as quickly as I can since Lina and Gourry are eating away bank account.  
  
This begins a few months after Slayers: Try. There are a few spoilers in this; I won't specifically explain anything, but I will refer to them. If you don't want even vague spoilers, I suggest that you don't read this.  
  
Lime Warning: Nothing detailed, but occasional references to sexual relations and innuendoes occur.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Pain. That was the first thing she felt. She felt like someone just slammed her headfirst into a wall. She could have done without being able to relate this pain with something else.  
  
Amelia opened her eyes and searing lances of the energy called sunlight shot through her eyes and exploded into her skull. That had been a bad idea. Not as bad as the idea to get drunk, but it ranked up there for stupid things to do. She cupped her hands over her head. "Recovery."  
  
Accelerating the healing process was usually a good idea. However, when dealing with a hangover, the morning of pain crashed into minutes of unimaginable agony. She almost wished Xellos was here, he would love to have the free meal.   
  
Amelia stopped before the healing process was finished. She was past the worst of it and didn't want to experience anymore of the self-induced hellfire. She should be able to function now.  
  
The princess started to take in the features of the room. She was sitting against the wall next to the bed. Zelgadis was asleep in the bed and his hand was on her shoulder. She was still in her royal gown and there was ugly stain on it that she had no idea where it came from. The room was otherwise normal for a second rate inn.  
  
Amelia wasn't sure what to make of all of this. She had gotten drunk while explaining everything to Zelgadis. Originally she only wanted the drinks to help deal with what she was talking about, but somehow it had become a plan to seduce Zelgadis, which she wasn't entirely sure had failed. The last thing she remembered was telling him about Lina and Gourry. She didn't remember coming up to his room or going to sleep. The fact she hadn't slept in the bed and that she was still in her dress, suggested they hadn't done anything. However, parts of the dress weren't where they should be, so she wasn't sure that she had worn the dress the entire night. Someone cleaning off what caused the stain or her movements while she slept could account for how her dress had shifted, but she failed to consider that.  
  
Amelia shook her head. Thinking about it would get her no where, and she needed to get ready to face a new day. She carefully removed Zelgadis's hand off her shoulder. Seeing that he had not awakened, she started to take off her clothes. She couldn't use Lina and Gourry's room, and sort of hoped that Zelgadis wouldn't wake up. After she finished undressing, she reached into the dress and pulled out clean underwear and her normal fighting clothes. She always liked to be prepared, especially around Lina. Amelia began to put her clothes on.  
  
What a way to start a day. Amelia had thought that with Lina styled sarcasm. Zelgadis had it as a completely uncharacteristic thought, but not entirely surprising considering he woke up to a half-naked well-endowed princess.  
  
Amelia noticed that Zelgadis was staring at her. She pulled her shirt against her chest. "Ah, good morning."  
  
"Ack!" Zelgadis quickly turned to face away from her. "Morning. Sorry."  
  
Amelia didn't know entirely what to do. This was all new to her. "Um, Mr. Zelgadis?"  
  
"Y-yes?"  
  
"Did you take advantage of me last night?"  
  
Zelgadis fell out of the bed. "Wha... What?! I wouldn't... I'd never... I mean...."  
  
"Nothing happened?"  
  
"Absolutely nothing beyond you passing out and throwing up." Well, she also said that she loved him, but that wasn't something Zelgadis wanted to bring up.  
  
"Oh.... Sorry."  
  
Zelgadis blinked at Amelia's tone. She sounded... disappointed. Did she want him to have taken advantage of her? That couldn't be it. That had better not be it. What was he going to do about this?  
  
"You can get up. I've finished getting dressed."  
  
Zelgadis slowly peeked over the bed and saw Amelia in her normal clothes and sighed with relief and a little disappointment. "I'll meet you for breakfast in a moment."  
  
Amelia nodded and left.  
  
Zelgadis prepared for the day. He was going to meet Lord Resdis and discuss some of the particulars of the mansion he had been hired to clear out any magic or ghosts. Particularly where to find the mansion. He had best be ready for anything.  
  
Zelgadis picked up his canteen and gazed at the bracelet attached to it. The promise connected to the bracelet had been broken, but neither of them had any control over it. There was nothing they could do, but try to force the intent of the promise. That he would find his cure and that they attempt a relationship. However, the original promise also included that Amelia would wait for him, and that was not possible anymore.  
  
Zelgadis clutched the bracelet in his hand. With the promise gone, Amelia wasn't going to wait for him to be ready. She was forcing him to decide to be with her or to push her away. There was no middle road. He exited his room and muttered, "How am I suppose to deal with someone who wants me to take advantage of her?"  
  
"Unless she's butt ugly, you take advantage of her."  
  
Zelgadis glared at the guy who said that. "I didn't ask for any opinions."  
  
The man had black hair down to his shoulders and wearing chain mail shirt over a green padding. An evil looking sword hung on the left side of his black pants. "Then don't ask rhetorical questions aloud."   
  
Zelgadis growled. "Don't give any suggestions unless you've got all the facts."  
  
"What's there to know? She wants you, so you go and do her. What is the problem with that?"  
  
Zelgadis stomped off. "Because it would force me to marry her."  
  
"Then run for the hills and don't look back."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Now that breakfast was over, all they had to do was wait for Zelgadis's employer to give them the information. But there was one thing Lina wanted to make clear first. "Now, Gourry, just so you understand, when I'm doing things related to my job...."  
  
Gourry interrupted, "What job is that?"  
  
"Attacking bandits, dealing with mazoku, treasure hunting, almost everything else we've been doing for the past few years!"  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Anyway, when I'm doing stuff like that, I'm going to use the name that everyone recognizes me as, Lina Inverse."  
  
"I thought it was Bandit Killer and Dragon Spooker. And what's wrong with using my name?"  
  
Lina's eye twitched. At least Gourry didn't reference the other prevalent title, 'the enemy of all who live.' "I've spent four years building a reputation as Lina Inverse. If I start going around as Lina Gabriev, I'd practically have to start over. Besides, when we retire from the adventuring business, I'd rather not have people know that Lina Gabriev was the Bandit Killer. Someone might try to get revenge on me by attacking our family."  
  
"You don't have to worry about the Gabriev family, we're capable of defending ourselves."  
  
Lina shook her head. "That's not what I mean. We'll eventually have kids, and someone might try to hurt me by hurting them."  
  
"Oh. But Lina... it means a lot to me that you're my wife. I want you to use my name."  
  
"Even when I'm blowing up cities?"  
  
"Well, yes... I guess."  
  
Lina sighed. "Please, Gourry. The name Lina Inverse carries a lot of clout. It is feared and respected everywhere. If I use your name, someone might be stupid enough to challenge me. I'll use your name when I'm not working, but when I'm going after bandits-- I don't want them to think they have a chance of fighting me. Do you understand?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Gourry...."  
  
Gourry sagged. "But if it's what you want...."  
  
Lina smiled appreciatively. "Thanks. But just remember that I'm happy that my children will be Gabrievs." Well not entirely happy, but livable. And preferably she would just have one child when she was in her mid-twenties.  
  
Gourry smiled at that.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Zelgadis wondered if he should return the bracelet. When she had given him it, he had promised to give it back when he was ready to attempt a relationship. Did he want to work on his relationship with her? Not yet, was his thought-- but it also came with Amelia's statement that she didn't have a choice. If they were to try and make this work, he would probably end up married to her and potentially Prince of Sailoon. If he rejected her, he would lose the only girl who had ever cared for him and she would end up in a loveless marriage. Neither were entirely good options. He wasn't ready for the first, and hated the second one.   
  
Zelgadis handed Amelia the bracelet she had given him.  
  
Amelia's lip quivered. "Mr. Zelgadis...." He couldn't be giving it back to dump her. Had she been too forceful last night?  
  
"Just thought I'd return it seeing as how the promise doesn't work anymore."  
  
"But... does this mean that...?"  
  
"What?" Zelgadis looked at her frightened face. He sighed realizing she was taking this the wrong way. "Amelia, I promised to return that when I was ready attempt to have a normal relationship. Okay, so I'm not entirely ready and we can't have a normal relationship, but I'm willing to make an attempt to have one. But, let's not rush things too much. We still have a few months."  
  
Amelia's smile lit up the room. "I... Yes, Mr. Zelgadis." She took off the bracelet on her right wrist and moved it to her left, and then put on the one Zelgadis gave her.  
  
"Why were you wearing your left bracelet on your right arm?"  
  
"Well...." Amelia adjusted the right bracelet. "I kept seeing the missing bracelet and kind of felt lonely since it reminded me that you weren't with me. So, I wore the left one on my right wrist, knowing that you had the right bracelet made me fell like you were always with me."  
  
"Um, okay...."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Lina hated waiting for someone who decided to be 'fashionably late,' especially from a minor lord of a backwater village. If she waited any longer for him, he might just end up being 'late' period.  
  
The plump noble in gaudy robes waddled over to Zelgadis an hour after he was supposed to arrive at the inn. "Greetings, Zelgadis. If you would come with me, I will explain the job."  
  
"Greetings, Lord Resdis. My friends want in on it as well."  
  
The nobleman crossed his arms. "I only hired you. I will not pay any more to have that mansion cleared."  
  
"You don't have to. The money we agreed upon will be given to her." Zelgadis pointed at Lina. "The only thing that we ask is that we are to be allowed to search through any books on magic we can find there and keep any that relate in any way to chimera."  
  
Lina scowled. She wanted to renegotiate the contract, they would've gotten more from the noble that way. Unfortunately, Zelgadis was the only one who knew him and he didn't want to draw this out longer than it had to be.  
  
Lord Resdis "Well, I've been told that my great-great-grandfather did do some work on merging things, so there might be something there." He shrugged. He wasn't a sorcerer and wouldn't know what to do with any of those books besides sell them. All he wanted was the house. "I guess that would be acceptable."  
  
Zelgadis smiled. Now he wouldn't have to steal them.  
  
Lord Resdis sat at the table. "I'll start explaining everything after Ravven gets here."  
  
"I'm already here. And if that's the girl who's going after you, marriage wouldn't be bad after all." Ravven sat down next to Gourry and smirked at Amelia.  
  
Amelia blushed under the man's gaze.  
  
Zelgadis scowled. "I wish you'd keep your opinions to yourself."  
  
"You know him?" Lina asked.  
  
"Not at all." Ravven smiled at the red-head. "Perhaps we should introduce ourselves if we're all going to take this job. I'll go first. My name is Ravven Del Woods."  
  
Amelia nodded. "The mercenary sorcerer-swordsman from White Woods? I've heard about some of the freelance work you did for Sailoon."  
  
Ravven smiled. "My reputation precedes me. I'm honored that you know me."  
  
"Zelgadis Graywords."  
  
"Amelia."  
  
"Lina Inverse."  
  
Gourry sagged. "Gourry Gabriev."  
  
"Lina Inverse? I'm truly impressed to be in your company." Ravven bowed slightly to her.  
  
Lord Resdis looked at them skeptically, particularly Lina. He then shrugged. He didn't care if she was the Bandit Killer or if she was lying. He just wanted her and her friends to do the job. He placed a map on the table. "Almost two hundred years ago, my great-great-grandfather built a mansion here." He pointed at the red 'X' on the map. "He spent over a hundred years there before disappearing. I don't know much of what's in there since the last person who lived there was my great-grandfather. What I do know is that the place is filled with magical traps and a possibly a few ghosts."  
  
Lina leaned toward the noble. "So, you just want us to go in there and do some magical house-cleaning so you can move into your ancestral home?"  
  
Lord Resdis nodded. "I'd like this done by the end of this week."  
  
"Should be a piece of cake."  
  
"What was your great-great-grandfather's name?" Zelgadis asked.  
  
Lord Resdis blinked. "Um, well... I think it's Tezo. No... Frezo? Mezo? Hmm... It's something like that." He got up from the table. "When you finish the job, come to my house and I shall pay you what I agreed upon. Remember, I want the place cleared out before the week is over. Goodbye."  
  
Zelgadis had looked at the man in a similar fashion he would look at Gourry when he had said something extremely stupid. How could the man not know the name of the original owner of his ancestral home? Zelgadis couldn't suppress the smile that was forming. The information was more proof that the house was Rezo's.   
  
Lina absently thought about the mission while playing footsie. Nothing major to do with this one. A couple Flow Breaks should clear the house nicely. An easy job, a chance to cure Zelgadis, and a couple hundred gold for her trouble. Seemed a bit TOO good, but it was certainly worth a shot. Her thoughts derailed as she realized the boots she was feeling with her feet were not Gourry's. "Why you?! Flare Arrow!"  
  
Ravven was blasted across the room. "Ow... Why did you do that?"  
  
Lina growled. "Come on, we've got to prepare for the mansion. We start tomorrow morning."  
  
Gourry followed her. "Lina, why did you blast him?"  
  
"Forget about it."  
  
Zelgadis turned to his new, and burnt-crispy, teammate. "What did you do?"  
  
"I was just playing footsie with her. If she wanted to stop, she should have just said something."  
  
Amelia blinked. "You're lucky she only cast Flare Arrow at you. She has killed people for less."  
  
"Touchy girl." Ravven shrugged. "Oh, well. We leave at the crack of dawn?"  
  
Zelgadis shook his head. "Probably two hours after that. It'll take Lina and Gourry that long to eat breakfast."  
  
Amelia got up from the table and looked at Zelgadis. "I guess, I'd better see about getting another room." Seeing him nod, she started to go over to the innkeeper.  
  
Ravven stopped her and pointed at the 'no vacancy' sign. "Don't bother. The town is having a festival next week and guests are already starting to arrive for it."  
  
"Oh, right. Next week is the Hunter's Festival." That wasn't good. She had been invited to attend by a dozen rather minor nobles, some of whom might still attend it. They had better finish this job before next week, since she did not want to deal with them. But the upcoming festival caused her another problem. She looked at Zelgadis. "I guess we'll have to share the room."  
  
Zelgadis sighed. "I guess. But no drinking and don't try anything."  
  
Amelia hung her head. "I won't."   
  
-------------------*  
  
Lina wanted to leave Ravven behind. There was no point for him to be part of the group. And his flirting was getting on her nerves. At least they should be at the mansion soon and can get this job done quickly and leave him behind.   
  
"Um, Mrs. Lina?"  
  
Lina turned to Amelia. "Yes?"  
  
"I was thinking about what to do if this doesn't work, and Zelgadis doesn't get cured." Amelia smiled brightly.  
  
"Good, we'll probably need something to fall back on. So, what's is your idea?"  
  
Amelia walked a little ahead of Lina. "I feel we should visit your sister next. As the Ceiphied Knight, she might be able to help him. Besides, I'm sure she would be happy to meet her new brother-in-law. Isn't that a great idea?" The princess turned around, and Lina had vanished. "Mrs. Lina?"  
  
The shaking tree over Amelia called out, "Absolutely NOT! There is NO way I'm going to see my sister if I can avoid it!"  
  
"But, Mrs. Lina...."  
  
Lina hopped out of the tree. "Listen, I know my sister, and while she has a LOT of power, she doesn't have what Zelgadis needs. If she did, I would've told him where to find her a long time ago. So, there is no reason to go there."  
  
"If you say so, but I still think...."  
  
"I am not going to see her. That's final!"  
  
Amelia sagged. What problem did Lina have with her sister? Why would the mere mention of the Ceiphied Knight scare her, when the knight is suppose to be the highest champion of Ceiphied, the god of life?  
  
Lina decided to change the topic. "Any luck?"  
  
"Huh?" Amelia looked at Lina bewildered. "Luck?"  
  
"Yes, with Zelgadis. Did you two do anything?"  
  
Amelia shook her head. "We talked a bit last night, that's all."  
  
"Better luck next time."  
  
The girls turned and looked at Ravven.  
  
Lina scowled. "Keep your nose out of our business."  
  
"Sorry." Ravven raised his hands in mock defense. He wondered what their previous conversation was about to have caused Lina to act so strangely. He could try to find out what it was later, since that could wait. "I just wanted to ask a question."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
Ravven smiled at Lina. "Do you know how Gaav died?"  
  
Lina shook her head. Was he honestly going to try to use that 'I killed a shard of Shabranigdo, Fibrizo, and/or Gaav' line on her? She knew the true answer though. "Fibrizo killed him because he wouldn't follow the mazoku party-line."  
  
"Oh." Ravven shook his head sadly and then shrugged. "He always had to do what he wanted."  
  
"Huh?" Amelia questioned.  
  
Lina blinked as he started to move to the back of the group. His response was nothing like she expected. "You knew Gaav?"  
  
"In passing."  
  
-------------------*  
  
The exterior of the mansion was rather unimpressive. The house was two-stories tall and maybe fifty meters wide. Lina doubted there would be more than twenty rooms, not counting closets. The strange part about the mansion was that it didn't look very old. Maybe ten or twenty years, definitely not the two hundred years it was reported to be.  
  
"Let's get this over with." Lina went to the front doors and pushed them opened. The main room appeared to be oppressively black. Light from the outside seemed to refuse to enter. Once the entire group was inside the mansion, the doors slammed shut. Light then ignited, bringing an unearthly glow to the enormous room they were in. The room looked to be three-stories tall, twenty meters wide and thirty meters long with two elegantly crafted mirrored staircases.  
  
Ravven pulled out his sword. "I guess it's too late to have a bad feeling about this place."  
  
Lina looked around the room. She was not pleased with this at all. "You can always go out the doors."  
  
"What doors?"  
  
Lina turned and looked at Ravven. Behind him where there should be double doors was a solid wall.  
  
So much for her nice and simple job.  
  
*-------------------*  
  
A flash of darkness washed over a seat at a small inn. Xellos was now sitting there and waved cheerfully at the waitress.  
  
"What do you want?" the purple haired waitress sneered.  
  
"Some mint tea would be nice."  
  
The waitress muttered under her breath as she turned away and a moment later the tea suddenly appeared on the table.  
  
Xellos smiled and picked up the tea. "Now, I suppose you are wondering what this is all about." He took a long sip. "Who am I talking to? Why you, the reader. I haven't had an obvious part in this so I thought I'd corrupt Archive's author notes and let you in on a few secrets."  
  
Xellos took another sip. "Why would I tell you any secrets? Simple, its much more fun watching others bumble around when they don't know what's going on. Since I can't feed off of you and you can't interfere in what's going on, I might as well help you understand what's going on that way you can better enjoy their folly."  
  
The waitress tapped her foot. "Are you going to order any food?"  
  
"I think I'll have one of your Personal Special Surprise."  
  
"Whatever."  
  
A covered plate appeared on the table. Xellos gleefully lifted off the lid. "Yum. Live slugs in gravy. I still wonder why Lina hates these. Oh well." He popped one into his mouth.  
  
"Now where to begin? Perhaps you want to know about the mansion that I helped Resdis find. Well, that's a secret. Can't let you know everything yet." Xellos chuckled. "How about the high priest of hypocrisy, Towermere? Now he's someone I can explain. Why would this servant of Ceiphied, defender of life, teach a young chaste shrine maiden about birds, bees, and abortion? Well, its because he's a bit biased. He holds the view that most, if not all, nobles will experiment sexually at some point with a servant or peasant. It is not entirely unfounded as history is filled with incidents of that occurring, most notably in recent history was Prince Phil being with a peasant girl turned adventurer. Phil, of course, did the honorable thing and married her when she became pregnant, however she had not been approved by the noble council so Crown Prince Phil would not become king. That dubious honor would be passed on to someone else, barring that they succeed going through all of Sailoon's requirements. There's a lot of bureaucratic red tape involved that would take too long to explain in full."  
  
"Oh, you want to know about Towermere's new resistance to magic. It is the 'mazoku' amulet he wears that protects him. While it's not a big secret, you'll just have to wait for Lina to find out about it before you get any specifics on it. What? Did you honestly expect me to give any secrets about the true plot of this? You didn't?" Xellos shrugged. "I guess you know me too well."  
  
Xellos finished off the slugs. "If my waitress's lovely scowl means anything, I've overstayed my welcome."  
  
"You wore it out over a thousand years ago."  
  
"Right. See you around, Luna-dear." A few coins clattered onto the table.  
  
"Send Sis and her husband my regards."  
  
"Certainly." Xellos vanished in a puff of blackness.  
  
Luna growled looking at the coins. "No tip and he didn't even leave in the thank you message to Archive's pre-readers." She then shrugged. "What else should I expect from a monster?"   



	6. Danger! Do Not Enter!

The Slayers: Reward  
  
Chapter 6: Danger! Do Not Enter!  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The Slayers belong to Hajime Kanazaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, SOFTX, Software Sculptures Ltd., and many others. I do not own them. I'm only borrowing them. I'll return them as quickly as I can since Lina and Gourry are eating away bank account.  
  
This begins a few months after Slayers: Try. There are a few spoilers in this; I won't specifically explain anything, but I will refer to them. If you don't want even vague spoilers, I suggest that you don't read this.  
  
Lime Warning: Nothing detailed, but occasional references to sexual relations and innuendoes occur.  
  
-------------------*  
  
This was supposed to be an easy job! A few Flow Breaks to break apart the magical energy and be done, simple and quick. But the inside of the mansion was bigger than the outside! That was not supposed to be possible. The amount of stable magical energy needed would be enormous. You would need a Claire Bible manuscript or three to make this work. With things like the Claire Bible, you can bet they're heavily guarded.  
  
Which actually might not be a bad thing. The Claire Bible held the promise to Zelgadis's cure and, if not a cure, Lina would gladly take any power it offered.  
  
Zelgadis shook his head, looking at the ball of light he had summoned and placed near the ceiling. It was glowing three stories above his head, and the mansion was only two stories tall. He was pretty sure they had not gone into another dimension, meaning the insides of the house had been stretched. This would cause a major kink in removing magical traps. You'd have to find and disarm each of them. Being reckless and just casting dispelling magics would cause the room to implode. You couldn't even be sure how big the inside of the mansion was.  
  
Amelia was looking around the room to see if she could find anything. In the corner were two chairs and a table. She picked up the note resting on the table and looked at it. "Dear Amelia?!"  
  
"What was that?" Lina looked over at the princess.  
  
"This letter is addressed to me!" Amelia held the paper away from herself. That was waaaay too creepy for her.  
  
"Let me see that." Zelgadis took the paper and looked it over. "It's blank."  
  
"B-blank?" Amelia's knees shook.  
  
"Give that here." Lina snatched the note. "Dear LINA?!" She dropped it.  
  
Gourry picked it up and looked it over. "Maybe it only likes girls. I don't see anything written on this."  
  
Ravven took the paper. "Dear womanizer." He flipped it over. "That's all that I can see written on it."  
  
Lina grabbed it back. "I can see more than just 'dear Lina,' but it looks like there are a few missing paragraphs." She handed it to Amelia.  
  
Amelia gulped. She could remember a few ghost stories relating to things like this. Maybe one of them was true and she stumbled into it. She looked the paper over and it was completely covered in writing. Funny how she could declare a fight for justice against Hellmaster Fibrizo, the Lord of the Dead, but ghosts still gave her the chills. "I can read almost all of it."  
  
Dear Amelia,  
  
I am trying to use the magic of this house to customize this note to whoever reads it.  
  
So, Amelia, you have found where I went after I ran away from home. I hope that you can find your way out soon. At the time I am writing this, I've been trapped for about two weeks.  
  
I don't know what to say to you now. I just couldn't stay after mother died. Father trying to help me forget by arranging a husband for me didn't help matters. I had to leave and find myself.  
  
I have learned a few things about the house that is helpful to know.  
  
First, if you are hungry, you can ask for food and it will appear....  
  
Lina grinned. "I want food!" Best way to get everyone away from thinking about the opening paragraphs, apparently written by Amelia's sister, was to distract them. And this was such a wonderful way to do it, with a nice roasted and large chicken leg that appeared in Lina's eager hands.  
  
You can even request what you want to eat....  
  
"I want ice cream!" A bolt of electricity struck Lina. The chicken leg bone, sans meat, was turned into ash.  
  
However, the mansion doesn't know how to make exotic or recently created food. If you ask for something that the house doesn't know how to make, it'll strike you with lightning.  
  
"Now she tells me."  
  
The mansion is capable of creating supplies as well, such as paper and pens. It can even summon books from the library for you to read.  
  
Lina grinned. A great way to speed things up would be to get some information. "I want a map of this mansion." Lightning arced across the room, frying the sorceress crispy.  
  
There are some things the house won't grant, such as a map to this house or books on higher level magic. Doing so will result in extreme pain.   
  
"I can vouch for that." Lina fell to the ground.  
  
I can't be sure such things exist here as they may be on the upper levels. I have yet to go up the stairs, but I know I must. The first floor consists mainly of meeting rooms and barracks with surprisingly few bathrooms. There is no exit on this floor that I could find.  
  
Signed,  
  
Gracia  
  
Amelia clutched the note to her chest, tears forming in her eyes. "Oh, sister. I wish I knew where you are now."  
  
A note appeared before Amelia.   
  
Left through seventh floor window three years ten months ago.  
  
Lina shook off the pain of the lightning and the thought that wandered into her head. Amelia's sister HAD to be a different Gracia. Besides the statement of seventh floor was not something Lina wanted to think about since it meant the mansion could easily have hundreds of rooms. "We're getting no where standing around here. Let's start searching."  
  
Ravven glanced around the room. "For what?"  
  
Lina counted off the objective with her fingers. "An exit, books of magic-- particularly those that can cure Zel, magical traps, ghosts, and anything that may be of use or that is interesting."  
  
A paper fluttered down in front of Lina.  
  
Traps are now active. Please state pass phrase to deactivate.  
  
Lina threw up her arms. "Wonderful! Now we'll be sure to find all the traps."   
  
"Isn't that what we're supposed to do?"  
  
"Shut up, Gourry."  
  
"Yes, dear."   
  
"I guess we start going up the stairs then." Ravven used his sword to point.  
  
With little other choice, Lina shrugged and led the parade up the stairs and through the doors, with Ravven taking the rear-guard position. Before them was an opulent hallway with hanging crystal chandeliers that magically lit the room. There were a few paintings hanging on the walls evenly placed between the many doors.   
  
On the far wall at the end of the hall hung a large painting, maybe fifty meters away. "I knew it." Zelgadis sagged as he fought the urge to cry and/or punch the wall. If the man's robes didn't give it away, the over-sized inscription on the bottom said more than enough, 'Frezo the Lime Green.' His cure probably wasn't here if this wasn't Rezo's home.  
  
Amelia place her hand on Zelgadis's arm. "Don't give up hope yet. This may not be Rezo's home, but Mr. Frezo obviously was powerful and Mr. Resdis did say that his great-great-grandfather did some work on combining magics."  
  
Lina shook her head while looking at the portrait. "I thought pink was bad."  
  
Ravven peered closely at Lina. "What was that?"   
  
Lina blushed in embarrassment. "Oh, nothing. Nothing here, let's move on."  
  
Zelgadis looked over at Lina. "Don't rush anything. We don't want to set off a trap."  
  
A piece of paper floated down in front of Zelgadis with the statement that the traps were active.  
  
"All right, let's just get moving. Gourry pick a door." Lina didn't find it hard to tell her husband to open a potential trapped door. Even if it was trapped, the chances of him dying from it were very remote. He had more than enough endurance and health to survive a Dragon Slave, not to mention a few spellcasters with healing spells just in case he couldn't deal with it.  
  
Gourry walked up and opened the first door on the right. He blinked and then closed it. "We don't want to go in there."  
  
"What's in there?"  
  
"That ocean of, um.... You know the place where everything is white."  
  
Lina's hair stood on end. "The Sea of Chaos?!"  
  
Gourry nodded. "Yeah. That's the place."  
  
"Are you sure?" Zelgadis sounded disbelieving.  
  
"Yep. Had that gold globby stuff off in the distance."  
  
Lina winced. "'Gold globby stuff?' You don't call the Lord of Nightmares, 'globby stuff.'"  
  
"Oh, sorry."  
  
Zelgadis crossed his arms. "I thought you didn't remember anything from that trip."   
  
Lina ignored the question and went to the second door on the right. "Next door." She peered in and saw a landscape of burning lava. A pit fiend snickered as it pushed someone into the liquid rock. There was no sound from the damned person as his throat had been ripped away. A sign was placed not far away that was pink with lime green letters with cute little bows that said, [Welcome to Hell!] Fibrizo was a sick, and fortunately dead, little demon. Lina shut the door. "This place gets worse by the minute."  
  
"What's behind the door?" Zelgadis started to gather magic just in case.  
  
"A portal to hell. Amelia, pick a door."  
  
"Okay." The princess went over to the first door on the left. She opened it carefully and peeked inside. "Oh, wow! Teddy bears!" The 'teddy bears' turned their heads and looked at her with ruby crystal eyes and bared sharp teeth. Amelia eeped and slammed the door. "I don't think we should go in there."  
  
Lina raised an eyebrow. "Why not? You said there were teddy bears in there."  
  
"With r-ruby eyes and s-sharp teeth and they were l-looking at me."  
  
"Right. I had my fill of animated toys for one life time." Lina turned to face Zelgadis. "Your turn."  
  
Zelgadis shrugged and opened the second door on the left. Peering inside, he saw numerous soldiers made out of candy lined up. The one closest to him raised its arm and swung at the chimera. The candy sword shattered, but it somehow scratched his skin. Zelgadis looked at his 'injury' and was annoyed. "Diem Wind!" The soldiers were slammed into the walls by the sudden gust of hurricane winds.  
  
Lina peeked in behind Zelgadis. "Darn, no other doors here." She picked up one of the broken legs that was nearby. She sniffed it, and then started to munch on it.  
  
Amelia was a bit disgusted by this. "You could've just asked the mansion for candy."  
  
"Spoils of war." Lina glanced over at Ravven. "Let's see if you can do better."  
  
"Sure thing." Ravven bowed slightly and went to the third door on the right. He opened it and felt an icy breeze grip him. He looked upon a courtyard covered in snow and ice. An armored figured walked by, but did not seem to notice. Ravven shut the door. "Dynast's Fortress."  
  
"Oookay. Gourry."  
  
Gourry went over to the third door on the left. He opened it upon large room filled with flowers. He walked in, followed by almost everyone else.  
  
Ravven stared at the door to Dynast's Fortress. His sword shaking in his hand. It took all his will to steady himself. "Later," he promised.   
  
Ravven then followed the group into the room and blinked. Zelgadis was dragging Amelia back towards the door. Lina and Gourry were lying a good distance away. "What happened?"  
  
"Stay out. I think the pollen in the flowers caused them to fall asleep."  
  
Ravven nodded and helped Zelgadis bring Amelia into the hall. He found his healing abilities too limited to help. Hopefully they would recover soon.  
  
Zelgadis went back into the room and pulled out Lina and Gourry.   
  
"It's a good thing that you're immune to that pollen."  
  
"Not immune, just resist...." Zelgadis collapsed to the floor.  
  
Ravven sighed and sat down. He wasn't about to attempt to explore this place alone. If he was going anywhere, he'd pay an unwelcomed visit to Dynast's Fortress. However, he knew he wasn't ready. Attempting it now would be suicidal, pure and simple. He needed to get more power first, and working with Lina and her group should get him that power.  
  
Amelia weakly opened her eyes and surveyed where she was. She sat up quickly remembering about the mansion. She glanced around noticing that Ravven was awake and the Zelgadis was lying face down on the ground. "Mr. Zelgadis!" She rushed over and checked him over. "What happened?"  
  
Ravven gave her a relieved smile. "Zelgadis believes the pollen in that room caused you guys to fall asleep."  
  
"The pollen?" Amelia placed her hands over the chimera. "Dicleary!"  
  
Zelgadis wearily opened his eyes. "Um, morning."  
  
Amelia smiled. "I think it's afternoon now."  
  
"Huh? What?" Zelgadis shot up like a bolt. Realizing where he was and what happened, he relaxed. "Um, right. You should heal those two so we can get going."  
  
Amelia nodded. "Right."  
  
Ravven stood up. "I'll check the next door." He went to the fourth door on the right. A massive arena was before him. He was pretty sure the arena was far below the ground. He didn't know what to make of nearby row of sculptures. They depicted cute things turned demonic. The saber-toothed rabbit was very unnerving for some reason.  
  
Zelgadis peered into through the door. "I'd say that's Fibrizo's Pyramid. It's probably more trap laden and screwed over than this mansion."  
  
"Right, next door."  
  
Zelgadis went over and opened the opposing door. Seeing no threats he entered to look at the broken altar. It was probably dedicated to Fibrizo, which he found a bit disturbing. He had come across a few alters to the Lord of the Dead, but most were bloodied from scarifices made by people who had never seen the mazoku. However, amidst the rubble of this black altar with blue bows was a toy. Whoever made it had more than a passing knowledge of the mazoku race and Fibrizo.  
  
Gourry had entered with everyone else, and he curiously picked up the toy and turned the crank on the side. The music it played was a cheery tune, then the grim reaper popped out of it and the tune continued and turned into something very morbid.  
  
"I'm really not liking this place." Lina walked out of the room and went to the fifth door on the right. "This had better be the way out."  
  
"Hello, Lina." A young woman of about twenty with blond short hair, which was the color of the sun, sat at a table. She didn't have a severe look, but Lina got an impression that she was very keen. "Care to join me for some tea?"  
  
Lina blinked. "Maybe later." She almost slammed the door shut. "I guess that could be a way out. Don't think I want to take it though."  
  
Lina looked at the sixth, and last, door on the right. "That's either to Dolphin's or Gaav's stronghold."  
  
"Probably Dolphin's. Gaav preferred living near wars, so he never stayed in one place for long." Ravven went over to the fifth door on the left.  
  
"Right." Not that it mattered to Lina. Either one would be a bad place to go. However, if it was Gaav's stronghold, it might be preferable to this place considering that lord was dead and wouldn't be nearly as trap happy as Fibrizo's pyramid would be.  
  
Ravven looked inside the room and saw blood flowing from the walls and covering the floor. "I don't see any other doors. There might be one, behind the blood."  
  
Lina sighed. She hoped they wouldn't have to search through that. "Last door. Gourry, open it."   
  
Gourry walked over and opened the door. "We might be able to get out here." He went through the door.  
  
The reluctant heroes followed and now stood at the foot of a rope bridge. An elderly man stood at the end of it. "To use this bridge you must answer three questions."  
  
"Whatever, Pops." Lina was not pleased with the portals to the mazoku lords' strongholds, the rooms of horror nor the rooms of cute things that attacked. Now it was an annoying old man. "Perhaps you can explain where we are first? And who you are?"  
  
The old man seemed nervous for a moment. "You are at the Bridge of No Return. To cross it, is to be to sent to Sairaag. Fail and be cast into the bottomless crevasse. I am merely an old adventurer by the name of Cromac that failed another test."  
  
Lina shrugged. She had more than enough of this place. "Sairaag is good this time of year. Who's first?"  
  
Amelia jumped up. "I'll go first."  
  
"What is your quest?"  
  
"To cure Mr. Zelgadis."  
  
"What is your favorite color?"  
  
"White!" Amelia thought these questions would've been harder.  
  
"What is your full name?"  
  
Amelia glanced nervously at Ravven. He could be a problem considering he was a mercenary and might want to take the reward for returning her home. "Princess Amelia Wil Tesla Sailoon."  
  
"Princess?" Ravven appraised the girl. He had been hitting on the wrong girl. Amelia and Zelgadis were not committed to their relationship yet and unless Zelgadis got his cure she would have to marry someone else soon or she'd probably lose the throne. Becoming the king of Sailoon could help him get his revenge against a certain mazoku.  
  
Zelgadis stepped up next.  
  
"What is your quest?"  
  
"To cure myself of being a chimera. Do you know if there is a cure here?"  
  
The old man looked momentarily frightened, then relaxed. "No, I don't. What is your favorite color?"  
  
Zelgadis glanced toward Amelia. "Blue."  
  
"What is your full name?"  
  
"Zelgadis Graywords."  
  
The old man blinked. "You may pass, sir."  
  
"All right, Pops, my turn." Lina wasn't happy with the full name question.  
  
"What is your quest?"  
  
"To cure Zelgadis of being a chimera and to get Towermere to leave us alone."  
  
"What is your favorite color?"  
  
"Purple." Lina wished the next question would be different for her.  
  
"What is your full name?"  
  
Lina clenched her teeth. "I am the Beautiful Sorcery Genius, Bandit Killer, Dragon Spooker, Lina...." Her voice dropped to a whisper.  
  
The old man leaned closer. "You must answer loud enough for me to hear."  
  
"I'm the Beautiful Sorcery Genius, Bandit Killer, Dragon Spooker, Mazoku Slayer, Lina...." Once again, Lina's voice trailed off.  
  
Amelia looked concerned. "Um, was I supposed to give my full title too? I could give it, if you have a half-hour to spare."   
  
"No. Just the name that is true to who you are. Which would include 'princess' or what color mage you are, but not any other attached title that no one would usually use to address you by." Cromac turned to Lina. "I still didn't hear that last part."  
  
Lina growled, wishing the geezer hadn't referenced mage color as being part of her name. "I'm Lina..." She turned her head away from everyone while blushing. "...Gabriev the Pink."  
  
"Pink?!" Amelia blurted. What guild master could be that cruel or that stupid to name Lina that? She wondered if the guild master was still alive.  
  
"Gabriev?!" Ravven palmed his forehead. He really had been hitting on the wrong girl. Lina was married. He could understand why she wouldn't advertise that.  
  
Zelgadis shook his head by wisely kept his mouth shut concerning Lina's color.  
  
Gourry walked over to Lina. "Why were you reluctant to use my name?"  
  
"I've already told you that while working, people know me as Lina Inverse. I only want people I trust to know that we're married. I've got quite a few enemies and if they come after me, I want to make it as difficult as possible for them to find me."  
  
"But...."  
  
Ravven bowed toward Lina. "I'm sorry about my earlier actions. I will keep this a secret."  
  
Gourry looked at Ravven. "What was he talking about?"  
  
"It's nothing...."  
  
"Any improperly answered question will cause you to fall into the crevasse, not just the ones I ask."  
  
Lina clenched her fists. "He was flirting with me. Nothing more than an annoyance."  
  
Gourry snapped his fingers. "That's why you blasted him into the wall."  
  
Lina nodded.  
  
Gourry turned and scowled at Ravven.  
  
Ravven held up his hands. "Sorry, didn't know."  
  
Gourry walked up to the Cromac.  
  
"What is your quest?"  
  
"To cure Zel."  
  
"What is your favorite color?"  
  
"Blue."   
  
Cromac shut his eyes. He was obligated by the magic of the place to condemn at least a couple members of a group to the crevasse. "How many times does the average hummingbird flap its wings per second in flight?"  
  
Lina's eyes widened in fright. Magic swirled around her ready to react in an instant.  
  
"Um, up to seventy-eight times. Are there any high level magic books in this place?"  
  
Cromac blinked and became very scared. "Y-yes."  
  
"Really?" Gourry's features brightened. Lina would want that kind of stuff. "Where?"  
  
Cromac shut his eyes and sighed with mixed emotions. "Bloody hell." Faster than anyone could blink, he was violently pulled into the crevasse by an unseen force.  
  
Gourry peered over the edge. "Anyone know what happened?"  
  
"Nope." Ravven shook his head.  
  
"Oh, well. Let's get out of here." Lina pointed at the bridge.  
  
The group began to cross the bridge. It shook and wobbled as they made their way across.  
  
"You know...." Amelia clutched the sides tightly. "We really should've done this one at a time."  
  
The ropes snapped and everyone fell. "Raywing!" was chorused by the spellcasters to no effect. They all plummeted to the depths of the crevasse.  
  
"Bloody hell is right." Ravven then mused about getting to see his father soon. He then noticed his companions beginning to disappear and that he was also vanishing.   
  
"What now?" Lina's voice faded away.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
If you wondering why Zelgadis and Amelia didn't mention a mage color for themselves, it's really simple. They were never part of a guild. Zelgadis was trained by Rezo. Amelia was trained by Towermere, court mages, and trained as a shrine maiden, but she was never formally given a status of a color. This reasoning is not necessarily true, of course. Amelia and Zelgadis might have colors, but they don't for this fanfict series.  
  
Description of Zelas lifted from a partial translation of the final novel. You can find it on QP's Slayers page along with novel summaries http://member.nifty.ne.jp/QPHOUSE/qp/slayers/slyr_e.html  
  



	7. Lost! The Infinite Mansion

The Slayers: Reward  
  
Chapter 7: Lost! The Infinite Mansion.  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The Slayers belong to Hajime Kanazaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, SOFTX, Software Sculptures Ltd., and many others. I do not own them. I'm only borrowing them. I'll return them as quickly as I can since Lina and Gourry are eating away bank account.  
  
This begins a few months after Slayers: Try. There are a few spoilers in this; I won't specifically explain anything, but I will refer to them. If you don't want even vague spoilers, I suggest that you don't read this.  
  
Lime Warning: Nothing detailed, but occasional references to sexual relations and innuendoes may occur.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Zelgadis groaned as he sat up and found himself in a woods.  
  
"Oh, good. You're awake."  
  
Zelgadis turned and his eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. "Rezo?"  
  
Rezo pouted while sitting on a fallen tree trunk. "I guess it was too much to hope that you'd call me 'grandpa.'"  
  
Zelgadis glared angrily. "Why are you here? HOW are you here?"  
  
Rezo sighed. "I don't believe you know where 'here' is. Unfortunately, I am prohibited from explaining."  
  
"Then why are you here?"  
  
Rezo bowed his head. "I wish to make amends."  
  
Zelgadis raised his eyebrow. "You're going to tell me how I can be cured?"  
  
Rezo sagged. "If only that I could. At the time I discovered the process to turn someone into a chimera, the shard that was within me largely controlled my actions. I did not research the process to reverse that."  
  
Zelgadis growled in frustration. "Can you at least give me something to help?"  
  
Rezo sadly shook his head. "All of my notes were in my lab, and that was destroyed by my copy." The Red Priest punched the fallen tree he was sitting on. "The Claire Bible Manuscripts that I learned the process from were inside the lab as well."  
  
A look of horror took over Zelgadis's face. "Are you saying there is no cure?"  
  
"The manuscripts might have survived, but if they did-- they're in mazoku hands."  
  
Zelgadis yelled into Rezo's face, "How can you possible make amends, if you can't tell me how to find my cure?!"  
  
A tear rolled out of Rezo's closed eyes. "I don't know how. All I can do is say, I'm sorry. I realize that will never be enough, but I can't do more than that. What I did was unforgivable, and if I could offer you my life, I would."  
  
"Too bad you're already dead."  
  
Rezo flinched. "But there is something I want you to know... that I am very proud of you and I love you."   
  
Before Zelgadis could reply, Rezo touched him with his staff and he awoke to find himself in a shrine. The crimson ruby in the shape of an eye embedded into the altar was all he needed to know whose shrine this was.  
  
Zelgadis stood up and walked to the door. Opening it, he saw an endless hallway lined with doors. He was still inside the mansion.  
  
Maybe going to Fibrizo's pyramid would've been better. At least then he wouldn't have to deal with the bizarre traps. On second thought, Fibrizo probably put the traps here in the first place.   
  
But who was this Frezo guy to get a mansion built like this? Zelgadis doubted that a nobody sorcerer from a backwater town could make something like this. He really doubted that any mazuko would even do something like this for some hick mage. Something was really wrong about all of this.  
  
Brooding over things wasn't going to help him at the moment. He had to find Amelia and the others. He began to open the doors and systematically search the rooms.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Ravven moaned as he woke up. He frowned at the lack of a girl in his bed. He then grimaced in pain as his body noted that he had slept in his armor, which had rubbed into his skin in the worst possible ways. He stretched and sat up.  
  
"What the?!" Ravven couldn't believe his eyes. He was in his childhood home. The place burned down to the ground when his parents were killed. He couldn't be home.   
  
Ravven quickly adjusted his clothes and armor and ran out of the house. He pulled his sword seeing the one... thing he most wanted to see dead. "You."  
  
The armored woman sneered at Ravven. "So, you want to kill me for what I did to your parents?"  
  
"You better believe it, bitch! Elmekia Flame." A beam of blueish-white energy shot out of Ravven's off hand.  
  
The woman looked at her shoulder, where the blast hit her. "You stupid mutt. Do you honestly think that you have a chance to defeat me, General Sarah of Lord Dynast's army?" She pulled out her sword.  
  
"Won't know until I've tried." Ravven swung his blade only to have it deflected easily.  
  
Sarah kicked Ravven through a wall. "You're pathetic."  
  
"And you're overstepping your bounds."  
  
Sarah spun around and saw two men approaching her. "This doesn't concern you two."  
  
"It concerns Lord Gaav, so it concerns us. We can't allow you to hurt him."  
  
"I don't have to bow to your lord, and you can't make me." Sarah pointed her sword at Ravven. "Besides, this is what he wants."  
  
"He is not ready to face you yet."   
  
The mazoku that hadn't spoken yet was now next to Ravven. "Get up, boy."  
  
Ravven felt someone kick him and then found himself inside a stone room. An altar depicting a frozen sword was near by. He stood up and spit on the shrine. He exited the room and saw too many freaking doors.  
  
Ravven went to the first door, peaked inside, and saw a skeleton hanging nearby. He shut the door and continued to the next door.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Amelia wearily opened her eyes and then sat straight up when she noticed this was her father's room. She looked around and noticed some things were off. There were items out that her father had put away... after her mother's death.  
  
"Why are you here?"  
  
Amelia turned and saw a young woman with an angelic face and dressed in white robes standing next to a window. "Gracia?"  
  
A storm was blowing outside of the window and when the lightning flashed the white robes became a leather bikini and her face took a sinister gaze. "Yes."   
  
Amelia rushed over and hugged her sister. "W-what happened to you?!"  
  
"You still haven't answered why you are here."  
  
Amelia blinked at her sister's cold tone. She then tried to think about why she was in father's room when she last remembered being in a very strange mansion. "This isn't Daddy's room, is it? Where am I?"  
  
"You're in a mansion whose last 'owner' was a man named Frezo."  
  
Amelia nodded. Strange was not how you'd refer to this mansion. "Right. I came here to help Zelgadis find a cure."  
  
"So you didn't come for me."  
  
Amelia looked down and began to cry. "Gracia, I'm sorry. I didn't know you were here. If I did, I would've come to rescue you a long time ago. But I can help escape you now."  
  
"But I am not Gracia. I'm an after-image left behind after her stay here."  
  
Amelia looked hopeful. "Then she has escaped from here."  
  
"Mostly."  
  
Amelia didn't like the sound of that. "Mostly?"   
  
"Finding mother's dead body, the force engagement, and then ending up in this mansion took its toll. She is not the Gracia you knew."  
  
"So... she did see... that. I had hoped...."  
  
The image of Gracia wiped away Amelia's tears. "Little sister, be brave and strong. You'll need to be in order to overcome this mansion."  
  
Amelia blinked and found herself in a stone room with an altar to Dolphin surrounded by water.   
  
"I must be brave." Amelia exited the shrine and saw a myriad of doors. "I must find the others."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Gourry sat up abruptly, and noticed he was inside some room filled with books and a bunch of magic stuff. He hoped out of the bed and started searching around. "Lina? Where are you?"  
  
"Whoa! Calm down, boy. She's... fine."  
  
Gourry looked at the speaker. An incredibly old man stood nearby, he was hunched over and held a surprisingly familiar staff. The man had long shaggy light blue hair and a beard that reached the floor. Gourry blinked. "Who are you?"  
  
The old man chuckled. "I'm the Great Sage Raudy Gabriev."  
  
Gourry scratched his head. "Any relation to my Great-Grandpa, the Great Swordsman Raudy?"  
  
"In a way I am him and not him."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
Raudy waved his hand. "I won't bother to explain. It's very complicated. Even your wife, Lina, would have a hard time understanding it, if she could remember."  
  
Gourry blinked. "How do you know Lina, and remember what?"  
  
Raudy sighed. "Lina and I shared an adventure that was stretched over time. With my powers over time, I have learned some things that haven't happened yet. It's really very complicated."  
  
"Ah, right...." Gourry nodded. "Do you know where Lina is?"  
  
"Yes and no. She's in the dreamscape, like you are now."  
  
"Dreamscape?"  
  
Raudy nodded. "Yes. In a way you're dreaming. But the mansion you're in allows your dreams to be altered by others. I have taken steps to secure you from the dangers of this place."  
  
Gourry took a step forward. "Is Lina in danger?"  
  
"It is hard to say. There is someone that can help her, if he wants to."  
  
"Send me to her, I've got to help her!"  
  
Raudy shook his head. "I can't do more than wake you from this place. You'll be back in the mansion, and should be able to find Lina."  
  
"Well, then wake me."  
  
Raudy sighed. "Gourry, please relax. Even if Lina is in trouble, which I suspect she truly isn't, there is still nothing you'll be able to do. Besides, don't you want to talk to your old great-grandpa? It's been so long since I've had a chance to really talk to anyone."  
  
"Sorry, but I must protect her."  
  
Gourry blinked when he felt Raudy tapping him with the staff. The sensation was a lot like the one the he got when he touched Sword of Light. However, before he could voice anything, he found himself inside Fibrizo's broken shrine again. He shrugged and walked to the door and opened in to a hallway far longer than the one he remembered.  
  
Gourry scratched his head. "I want to find Lina, but how do I do that?"  
  
A paper floated down and he grabbed it. He smiled at what he read. "Thanks!"  
  
-------------------*  
  
Pain. That was the first thing she felt. As if every piece of her body had been ripped apart and put back together, which had occurred to Lina three times too many, as far as she was concerned.  
  
A faint moaned escaped her lips as she opened her eyes slowly.  
  
"Oh, good. She's awake."  
  
Lina bolted up into a sitting position, staring into the eyes of Fibrizo.  
  
The demon in a child's guise smiled evilly. "Do you want to play with me?"  
  
Lina's hair was standing on end and she was pointing at the mazoku lord. "H-How?! You're DEAD!"  
  
Fibrizo pouted. "You know, it's not nice to point."  
  
A voice of gravel echoed, "That's enough."  
  
"But, sir!" Fibrizo whined. Then he bowed his head, as if he were ashamed.   
  
Lina's entire body shook as she turned to the source of that order.  
  
On a throne of living corpses sat a figure that was pure evil, darker than twilight, and crimson beyond blood than flowed. Immediately to the right of the throne stood an imposing armored visage of a man, and further to the right was Gaav with his sword completely intact. To the left stood two beautiful women, one with black hair and the other blond.  
  
Lina didn't know what to think. Her only cognitive thought was why she hadn't pissed her pants. She was in the presence of Shabranigdo and all five of the mazoku high lords. She gulped. "W-what's going on?"  
  
Shabranigdo laughed. "Don't you know where you're at?"  
  
Lina shook her head. "Not really. I know what I'm seeing, but I also know that can't be possible."  
  
"Perhaps this is just a nightmare, or maybe this is the past..." Fibrizo skipped to the feet of his lord. "...or maybe what you think is true is a lie."  
  
"Excuse me, but may I speak?"  
  
Lina quickly looked over to the speaker. "Xellos?" Behind him stood many people, and she had the sinking feeling they were all mazoku priests and generals.  
  
Shabranigdo chuckled. "Oh yes, why don't you explain this to her."  
  
"Thank you." Xellos bowed. "You are inside the mansion of Rei Magnus, created before the War of Monster's Fall. To preserve our essences, the awakened shard of Shabranigdo stored a portion of each of the mazoku lords inside the mansion. We are those es-"  
  
"XELLOS!" Shabranigdo barked angrily. "Where are your riddles? The half information to cause more confusion? Why are you openly explaining this?"  
  
Xellos smirked. "Sorry, milord, but that is a secret." He whirled toward Lina. "Time for you to awake." A beam shot out of his staff, striking Lina just as Shabranigdo blasted Xellos.  
  
Lina sat up quickly and found herself inside of shrine. The large number of predatory animal carvings confirmed that it was to Zelas.   
  
"What the hell was that about?" Lina shook her head. That had to be a weird dream, but for some reason she doubted it had been just a dream. But there was one thing wrong with it, Xellos had defied Shabranigdo. That was not supposed to be possible. A mazoku had to obey an order from a higher mazoku that had granted him power.  
  
Lina shook her head and exited the room. She groaned when she saw how many doors there were in this hallway. There had too be hundreds, but which one lead to the others? She started to walk, and noticed something on one of the doors. She went up to it and read the paper stuck to it.  
  
You might want to enter this door.  
-A friend.  
  
Lina crumbled up the paper and then opened the door. Inside was a walkway flanked by pools of blood. At the far end of the room was a pedestal with a book.  
  
Lina carefully looked around. This was an obvious set up for a trap. She cautiously walked across the room, but saw no signs of traps. She shrugged and picked up the book. She could feel the power in it, but the room didn't feel safe. She suspected something would come out of the blood to attack her or something.   
  
Lina left the room and then went through a random door from the hallway. She saw a field that was different than the one with the pollen, particularly since the grass was only in a four meter squared area. The walls had been painted to make it look like the field streached as far as the eye could see.   
  
Lina jammed the door open anyway just to be safe. She then leaned against the wall and opened her new book. She began to read with full interest.  
  
"This can't be...."  
  
Lina continued to read. It was not the information she was reading that was giving her problems, but that the book even existed. There was something very wrong about it.  
  
"Hey, Lina!"  
  
Lina blinked and turned to look down the hallway. "Gourry?" There was no one there.  
  
"Lina, over here!"  
  
Lina fell as she looked beyond the wall she had been leaning against and saw Gourry walking toward her. He was inside the wall! She hopped up to her feet and pointed at him. "Gourry, how did you get in there?"  
  
"In where?" Gourry scratched his head as he seemingly walked through the wall. "Cool, a door. The one I went through disappeared after it shut."  
  
Lina blinked several times. "Fine. Whatever. Let's go find the others. I'm ready to leave this place now."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Xellos's notes:  
  
The plot thickens and I finally make an appearance. Such a shame it wasn't really me. Oh, well. It won't be that much longer until I'm once again part of Lina's wonderful group.  
  
Archive had wanted this chapter to be a bit longer, but the dream sequences were much shorter than expected.   
  
Information about Lina's new book is, of course, a secret. You'll find out soon enough.  
  
However, I can tell you about why Raudy was able to appear. You see, the Elven wish had made him immortal, and yet his existence is a paradox since he should and should not exist. As such the great sage is trapped between dimensions and can rarely effect the physical world. This was one of the few opportunities he had to communicate to anyone. Perhaps I should pay a visit to him. After all, according to Joyrock, he does produce a fine meal of misery. It should be so much better now.  
  
You know, I think I'll do that right now. Bye bye!  



	8. Found. The Secrets Revealed.

The Slayers: Reward  
  
Chapter 8: Found. Secrets Revealed.  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The Slayers belong to Hajime Kanazaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, SOFTX, Software Sculptures Ltd., and many others. I do not own them. I'm only borrowing them. I'll return them as quickly as I can since Lina and Gourry are eating away bank account.  
  
This begins a few months after Slayers: Try. There are a few spoilers in this; I won't specifically explain anything, but I will refer to them. If you don't want even vague spoilers, I suggest that you don't read this.  
  
Lime Warning: Nothing detailed, but occasional references to sexual relations and innuendoes may occur.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Amelia scratched her head as she wandered down the endless hallway, hoping to bump into Zelgadis or anyone else. She didn't know what else to do. At least in the hall, there was a chance someone would come out of the doors.  
  
Amelia stopped and blinked as she passed one door. She turned and looked at a note placed on it. "Library?" She shrugged and opened the door.   
  
"Oh, wow! Look at all these books. I'm bound to find some useful information." Amelia bounced over to the closest table and looked at the books gathered. It was odd that all of them were diaries or journals.   
  
Amelia opened the first one and read, "Gracia formerly of Sailoon." She was about to sit down to read it when another book caught her eye. "Rezo, the apprentice."  
  
Amelia immediately put down her sister's diary in favor of Rezo's journal, hoping beyond hope that some clue to Zelgadis's cure was contained within.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Ravven laughed bitterly. "What a twisted sadist." He grimaced in pain as he pulled out part of a peppermint sword from his shoulder.  
  
"The cuter the room, the more deadly the trap. Shrine to a mazoku or if it looks like a torture chamber, it's perfectly safe," Ravven muttered. "Recovery." He relaxed slightly as his spell started to mend his wound. "What kind of sick bastard made this place?"  
  
Ravven carefully moved to the shattered altar, while trying not to aggravate his injury. He tried to put it back together, but the altar kept falling apart despite his repeated tries to fix it. He sighed in defeat. He then picked up part of the altar, an almost intact stone carving of a burning dragon's head. "Any suggestions on how I should deal with this place?"  
  
"No?" Ravven shrugged and placed the carving in his bag. "You never did give me much advice anyway."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Zelgadis kicked off the teddy bear that was gnawing on his leg, only to have it reattach itself. He decided to ignore it as he added the room to the map he was making.  
  
Going to the door on the other side of the room, Zelgadis moved on to the next room. Inside, he noted that the room was bare save for a two meter tall transparent lime-green mass. It even smelled like lime.  
  
Zelgadis pulled the attack teddy bear off his leg and tossed it at the mass. The thing quivered and shook as the teddy bear struggled to be free.  
  
"That can't possibly be...." Zelgadis shook his head. He walked up and scooped off a chuck of the mass and ate it. "Yep, it's Jell-O. Lina and Gourry would've loved 'fighting' this thing."  
  
Zelgadis marked the room on his map and was about to continue on when he noticed that the Jell-O monster was trying to eat his leg. He casually froze and shattered it.  
  
The teddy bear shook off as much frozen Jell-O it could and then jumped onto the chimera's back.  
  
Zelgadis went through other door in the room. He sweat-dropped at what he saw. This was either a torture room or a sado-masochist's idea of heaven with numerous items of sexual torture. At least Zelgadis thought they were all for sexual torture even though there were a few items he had no clue how they could be used that way. He reluctantly marked it down as a safe room, since there wouldn't be anything in the room that would attack someone.  
  
Zelgadis sighed as there were no other doors. He back tracked passed the frozen Jell-O and to... a room filled with skulls?  
  
Zelgadis ripped up his map. How could he possibly make an accurate map if the rooms could rearrange themselves. This room was supposed to have attack teddy bears.  
  
Zelgadis didn't know what else to do but wander aimlessly until he found someone else or some other clue.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Lina slumped against the wall. "We've been walking around for HOURS. Finding the others will take forever. There's got to be an easier way to do this."  
  
Gourry scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, and those rooms filled with toys that remind me of the nightmares I had when I was a kid."  
  
Lina raised an eyebrow. "You dreamt that your toys would attack you?"  
  
"Not mine. Billy's toys from next door." Gourry rubbed his chin. "You know, I heard he became a sorcerer specializing in golems."  
  
Lina chuckled. "So, maybe those dreams weren't dreams."  
  
"They had to be dreams," Gourry insisted. "How else can you explain his toys attacking me?"  
  
Lina slammed the back of her head against the wall. "Why did I fall in love with him? Why did I marry him?"  
  
Gourry looked confused at Lina. "If you can explain why you love someone, it's not love."  
  
"The savant moments would be one."  
  
"Save on what?" Gourry blinked.  
  
"Never mind." Lina waved him off. "Any ideas on how to find them?"  
  
Gourry shrugged. "Well, we could ask the house. That's how I found you."  
  
Lina blinked several times and then screamed with fangs coming out of her mouth, "Why didn't you tell me that?!"  
  
Gourry backed away from her. "You never asked. I thought you knew."  
  
Lina grumbled something about reconsidering Towermere's offer. She then straightened herself. "Mansion, I want to know where Zelgadis is."  
  
A piece of paper floated down.  
  
"Seventh door on the right from where you're facing, three rooms deep," Lina read. "Good, he's isn't that far away." She walked down the hallway, followed by Gourry.  
  
Lina jumped back as the fifth door on the left opened. She prepared a spell just in case.  
  
Ravven moved to the defensive noticing someone in the hallway. He only relaxed after Lina did. "Well, fancy bumping into you two."  
  
Lina stomped past him. "Come on. Let's hurry up and find Zelgadis before he moves to another part of the mansion."  
  
"What's with her?" Ravven asked.  
  
Gourry shrugged helplessly.  
  
Through the seventh door, Lina and her two companions passed through two rooms of visual horror and entered the third room of deadly mirth.  
  
At least Lina started laughing.  
  
"Ha hah. Very funny. Can you get me down?" Zelgadis requested as he hung from a spider-web made of red liquorish.  
  
Ravven tried to cut one of the strands but his sword became encased in the candy. "Just wonderful."  
  
"I may have a sweet tooth, but not that sweet." Lina drew her hands together. "Freeze Bleed."  
  
"Oh, no," Zelgadis moaned in expectant pain as he was encased in ice. The web he was in shattered since it could no longer hold his weight. "You can't do anything small, can you?"  
  
Lina shrugged. "If you can't do it big, what's the point?" She turned away from him. "Where's Amelia?"  
  
"I've been search...ing... for..." Zelgadis trailed off as he saw a note float into Lina's hands.  
  
"In the library off the main hallway?!" Lina re-read the note to make sure she got that right. "Where's the main hallway?" Another note fell from nowhere. "Okay, guys. Let's go get her."  
  
Zelgadis's mouth hung agape. "You mean all I had to do was ASK THE HOUSE?!"  
  
Gourry shrugged. "Sure. I thought you understood that from that note Amelia read."  
  
Lina's eye twitched. "Sometimes you need a simple person to find the simple solutions."  
  
Gourry smiled. "Thanks."  
  
Lina sighed. "Why him?"  
  
-------------------*  
  
"Just great. Another note from Xellos to guide the way." Lina grumbled as she entered the library. She looked around. "Amelia, you in here?"  
  
There was no answer.  
  
"Amelia?!" Zelgadis called out.  
  
A table cluttered with books seemed to explode as it fell over. "Mr. Zelgadis!" Amelia yelled happily and then looked sheepishly at all the books on the floor.  
  
Ravven chuckled. "She's got it bad."  
  
"Shut up," Zelgadis snapped. "Amelia, are you okay?"  
  
"Perfectly fine. I found out a lot about this place." Amelia started to pick through the books. "For one thing Frezo the Lime Green is Rezo the Red's father."  
  
Zelgadis rubbed his chin. "So, this is my ancestral home after all."  
  
Ravven looked at Zelgadis strangely. "Rezo was your old man?"  
  
Zelgadis nodded. "Sort of."  
  
Amelia nervously handed one book to Zelgadis. "Um, you'll probably want to read this one. It's... it's about Rezo's relationship with Eris."  
  
Zelgadis flipped through it. "It proves Rezo is my grandfather and great-grandfather, doesn't it?"  
  
Amelia reluctantly nodded. "It's really sad. But reading this and some of his other journals, I understand how Shabranigdo had manipulated him."  
  
"You have any clue what they're talking about?" Ravven asked.  
  
"None," Gourry replied.  
  
Lina slapped Gourry on the back of the head. "You should. You were part of some of that."  
  
"I was?"  
  
Lina sighed in defeat. "It's a long story, and I don't feel like going over it. Okay?"  
  
"Whatever." Ravven shrugged.  
  
"Anyway," Amelia called attention to herself. "This mansion wasn't really Frezo's though. He found it. It really belonged to-"  
  
Lina interrupted. "Rei Magnus."  
  
"How did you know?" Amelia asked.  
  
"I found his copy of Dragon Slayer." Lina pulled out an ancient tome from her cloak.  
  
Amelia looked confused. "Don't you mean Dragon Slav?"   
  
"Dragon Slav has been corrupted and changed through the years. This is the perfect version of the spell."  
  
"How do we know that the current version isn't the perfected one?" Zelgadis wondered.  
  
"Because this..." Lina thumped the book. "...is also a Claire Bible Manuscript."  
  
"I see." Zelgadis blinked. "Wait a second. How is that possible? Rei Magnus was turned into a shard of Shabranigdo BEFORE the Water Dragon King died and created the Claire Bible."  
  
Lina folded her arms. "That's a question I'll be beating out of Xellos, the next time I see him."  
  
"Who's this 'Xellos' person?" Ravven asked.  
  
"A high raking mazoku under Zelas Metallium," Lina replied flatly.  
  
Ravven sweat-dropped. "You certainly have some interesting friends."  
  
"Well, what should we do now?" Gourry questioned.  
  
"Simple. We get out of this hell hole and torch the place." Lina's hand ignited in fire.  
  
"You can't!" Amelia protested. "Mr. Zelgadis's cure might be located somewhere in this place. We can't destroy the mansion until we have it!"  
  
"Sorry, but this place has got to go!" Lina folded her arms.  
  
"Any reason why we can't stay a few days at least?" Zelgadis questioned.  
  
"Gaav Flare." Lina cupped her hands and sent a blast of energy through the wall of the library.  
  
"He's alive?!" Ravven called out in shock.  
  
"This mansion contains a shard of many of the high level mazoku, including Gaav, Fibrizo and the Rei Magnus Shabranigdo. When I was asleep I had a long talk with them. One I don't want to repeat. Understand?" Lina placed her hands on her hips. "I will NOT spend another night in this place, and I WILL destroy it."  
  
"B-but Mrs. Lina... Zelgadis's cure...." Amelia tried to figure out how to change Lina's mind.  
  
Zelgadis placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's okay, Amelia. With those mazoku shards here, this place needs to be destroyed. Besides, I doubt the cure is here, but I did find a lead."  
  
Amelia looked at Zelgadis uncertainly. "Are you sure? We could at least go through this library first."  
  
Lina glared. "I am not going to sleep in this mansion. I am leaving and blowing this place up. That's final."  
  
"After you fell off the bridge, did you have a strange dream?" Zelgadis asked.  
  
Amelia nodded. "I dreamt of my sister, but she wasn't my sister. Sometimes she was wearing a leather bikini."  
  
Lina twitched.  
  
"I had a dream of Rezo, and he told me that if my cure exists-- it's in mazoku hands."  
  
"Great." Lina tossed her arms into the air. "Yet another reason to find Xellos."  
  
"We could try finding a portal to Beast Island," Ravven suggested.  
  
Lina scowled. "I'd rather not have to share tea with Zelas, thank you."  
  
Zelgadis crossed his arms. "He'll pop up when we least want him to appear. Now, let's go before this mansion springs any more surprises."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Amelia took every journal that was in the library, just in case any of them had hints to Zelgadis's cure. She wasn't sure they should destroy this place yet. Sure it was evil, and must be vanquished-- but this was probably the best place to find Zelgadis's cure. However, she had been completely out-voted, even by Zelgadis, himself.  
  
Amelia followed the group as they walked to the open window that the mansion had given directions to. She suddenly froze as a sensation whipped through her body. Her hands reached to her throat as if she was desperate to breathe. "I-I'm all right. I'm... all... right." She collapsed to the ground.  
  
"Amelia!" Zelgadis rushed to her. "What's wrong? Amelia? Amelia?!" He then shuddered. He looked up angrily and charged down the hall. "Fibrizo you son of a b-" He then fell as he ran.  
  
"What the hell is going on?!" Ravven drew his sword scanning the area.  
  
Lina glanced around nervously. "I'm not sure, but I think something made them relive the moment they came closest to dying."  
  
Gourry hovered over Lina. "We have to make sure you don't get affected." He glanced at his comatose comrades. "Are they going to be all right?"  
  
"If it's the spell I'm thinking of, they should be fine. If they're really reliving it, then we have to get out of here fast and destroy this place."  
  
"Why's that?" Ravven placed his back to the wall.  
  
"This mansion contains a shard of Fibrizo, and he's the one who came closest to killing them for good. His power could ensure that they're dead."  
  
"How do we even find what's causing it?"  
  
"I'm not su-" Lina's face glazed over for a second, she then looked absolutely determined. "You, who are darker than the blackest pitch. You, who shines like gold-"  
  
"Lina, stop!" Gourry knew he had to stop her from reciting that spell. He grabbed her into a hug and kissed her.  
  
Ravven smirked. "Well, that's one way to stop her."  
  
Gourry broke the kiss.  
  
Lina looked at him confused, and shakenly touched his face. "You're all right...." She blinked a few times. "Damn, that thing got me too. At least you...."  
  
Gourry wobbled. "Momma... I hurt... it's so hot...." He collapsed into Lina's arms.  
  
"Gourry?! Gourry wake up, please." Lina shook him frantically.  
  
Ravven's sword fell out of suddenly limp hand. "What are you doing to my Dad?! Leave him alone!" He raised his hand. "What can I do? Elmekia Lance!"  
  
A streak of blueish-white light shot out and exploded as it struck something. The light illuminated a floating sphere before it shattered.  
  
Ravven screamed in pain for a half second and then stopped abruptly.  
  
Lina looked relieved as Gourry began to stir. A moan from Amelia and Zelgadis indicated they were fine as well. Lina smirked. "Talk about luck."   
  
Ravven laughed. "Whatever works. What spell were you casting anyway?"  
  
Lina turned around and ignored him. "You two all right."  
  
"I'm fine." Amelia shakenly stood up. "What happened?"  
  
"Just a spell that we will never have to worry about after we torch this place. It was one of Fibrizo's crueler ones, it makes someone relive the moment they came closest to dying."  
  
"What spell did Gourry stop you from casting?" Ravven demanded.  
  
Amelia shrugged. "Probably Dragon Slav."  
  
"No, I've seen that cast. She was calling upon something 'darker than blackest-'"  
  
Amelia covered his mouth. "DON'T repeat ANY part of that spell. It's very bad news."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"It's a spell to summon the Dark Lord of dark lords, the Lord of Nightmares." Zelgadis scowled at him. "And it's best that you forget it even exists."  
  
"S-summon?!" Ravven looked faint.  
  
"Yes, and unless you want to risk everything being destroyed, it's not something to cast." Lina looked around. "Damn, lost count. I want to find the closest open window." A piece of paper fluttered into her hands. "Good, not too much farther."  
  
Lina led the group as she followed the instructions. Upon reaching the door in question, she opened it. The open window let fresh air breeze in, but Lina was very disturbed.  
  
By the window, written in haughty red letters was, 'Naga was here!'  
  
"So this was why she was so demented." Lina ran her fingers over the Naga's message. "How long was she here?"  
  
Amelia pulled out her sister's journal. "About a year, if this is correct. You knew her, Mrs. Lina?"  
  
"She was my first partner. We adventured everywhere, except Sailoon, but she never talked about her family."   
  
"Do you know where she is now?" Amelia asked with a quivering lip but hope in her voice.  
  
Lina scratched the back of her head. "Well, it's been over two years since I've seen her last."  
  
"What happened?" Amelia pressed.  
  
"She saw me test the Giga Slav. It scared both of us to death and left the beach devoid of all life." Lina sighed. "As much as I tried to avoid Naga before we became friends, she's the one who runs from me now."  
  
Amelia nodded. "I see. She left you because she's afraid of the Giga Slav."  
  
Lina smiled sadly. "At least you know she should still be alive. Especially since she can keep up with me."  
  
"Thank you." Amelia wiped away a few tears.  
  
Ravven prepared to jump out the window. "Well, I've had enough of this place. Let's leave now before the house comes up with some means to keep us here."  
  
"You sure about having the mansion destroyed, Mr. Zelgadis?" Amelia asked.  
  
Zelgadis nodded. "I don't care if there is a cure here. This place has got to be destroyed."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Lina rolled up her sleeves and prepared herself. This mansion had to go, and there weren't many spells that could do it. Without calling upon the Lord of Nightmares, this was it.   
  
"You, who are the darkness of the twilight of life."   
  
Lina crossed her arms over her chest and a shimmering crimson light surrounded her.   
  
"You, who are more crimson than the last drop of life's blood."   
  
Her feet were lifted off the ground as the power continued to build around her.   
  
"Buried in the vast sea of time, your power grows as all other things perish."  
  
Lina grimaced as she held onto the power.  
  
Zelgadis could sense Shabranigdo's power growing. Not as much as there was during Rezo's summoning, but the dark lord's presence was still here.  
  
"Great Ruby Lord, I summon you, call out to you, pledge myself to you...."  
  
Lina turned in the air as the power started to spin around her.  
  
"Grant this lowly servant the power to smash the fools who stand before you with the power you possess."  
  
Lina shifted position and moved her hands together to her right side. All the energy around Lina collapsed into a ball that form between her hands. The ball pulsated with explosive destructive energy.  
  
"Dragon Slayer!"  
  
Lina brought her hands forward and the ball shoot through the air and into the open doors of the mansion. Zelgadis and Amelia immediately slammed the doors shut. They flew to Lina, grabbing her and taking her to the trench they had made shortly before Lina began the spell.  
  
Suddenly the Earth shook with an ear-shattering explosion.  
  
Zelgadis blocked the debris that fell into the trench. "Good lords, that was more powerful than a boosted Dragon Slav!"  
  
Amelia blinked. "Did you say something, Mr. Zelgadis?"  
  
Zelgadis looked at her. "What was that? I can't hear you with this ringing in my ear."  
  
-------------------*  
  
"Back already?" Lord Resdis asked as Lina and crew entered his office.  
  
"Yep." Lina dropped what looked to be a small scale model of the mansion. "Here's your 'ancestral home' completely free of magic and mazoku influence. Only problem was, the entire house was magical. So this is all that's left."  
  
"My... my... mansion?! That laughing priest said you could handle this job, Zelgadis. How could you do this to my home?!" Lord Resdis shouted.  
  
Zelgadis crossed his arms. "Sorry, cousin, but the mansion wasn't in our family to begin with. Great-grandfather Frezo found it. And..." Zelgadis paused. "Did you say laughing priest?"  
  
"Cousin?!" Lord Resdis growled. "How dare you insinuate that I'm related to a construct like you?!"  
  
Zelgadis snarled.  
  
Lina ignore them. "The 'priest' wouldn't happen to carry a staff with a red orb on it, have purple hair, and love secrets?"  
  
"Yes. What does that have to do with his delusions?" Resdis was glaring daggers at Zelgadis.  
  
"Xellos." Amelia sighed. "Pretty careless of him. His manipulations are usually harder to spot."  
  
Lina folded her arms. "Unless he's giving us these 'freebies' to distract us from his real goal."  
  
"What could that be?" Amelia wondered.  
  
Lina shrugged. "We'll find out in the worst possible way."  
  
Amelia went over to Resdis. "How are you related to Frezo?"  
  
Resdis scratched his head. "Well, let's see. He'd be my great-grandfather, and his daughter was my grandmother."  
  
Amelia nodded. "I see. So Zelgadis being the grandson of Rezo makes his claim on the mansion more legitimate."  
  
"I don't want that thing. He can keep it," Zelgadis snarled as he turned and left.  
  
"Rezo's grandson? What a joke!" Resdis laughed.  
  
Shortly after Lina, Gourry and Ravven left the office, an explosion occurred.   
  
Amelia exited while brushing off her hands. "What a jerk."  
  
Zelgadis sweat-dropped. "She's been hanging around you too much, Lina."  
  
Lina smirked. "It's good for her."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Xellos's comments:  
  
Well, Archive finally finished this part. Seems he had problems with my mansion. Such a shame. I enjoyed it.  
  
Anyway, he'll hopefully have the next part out soon, but he won't promise anything. More lime elements will arise as the group gets a little down time. Towermere returns, and it won't be much longer before I'll be joining the team. Archive isn't sure if it'll be next chapter or the following one.  
  
I wonder how Lina will greet me? With a kiss, a hearty handshake, or a painful headlock? I really hope it's the headlock. It feels so good.  
  



	9. Relax. A Moment to Recoup

The Slayers: Reward  
  
Chapter 9: Relax. A Moment to Recoup.  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The Slayers belong to Hajime Kanazaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, SOFTX, Software Sculptures Ltd., and many others. I do not own them. I'm only borrowing them. I'll return them as quickly as I can since Lina and Gourry are eating away bank account.  
  
This begins a few months after Slayers: Try. There are a few spoilers in this; I won't specifically explain anything, but I will refer to them. If you don't want even vague spoilers, I suggest that you don't read this.  
  
Lime Warning: The reason why this warning is here is very evident in this chapter. Sexual comments WILL be made in this part, but nothing descriptive.  
  
-------------------*  
  
A casual observer would view the activity around the table as an all out brawl over every last morsel of food. For those who knew the chief two combatants, the battle was actually quite tame. The surprise of surprises was when Gourry and Lina fed each other meatballs.  
  
"Are they always like this?" Ravven asked.  
  
Zelgadis shook his head. "Normally they're not that civilized."  
  
Amelia sighed dreamily. "And they've never fed each other before either."  
  
Both Lina and Gourry attacked the noodle-heaped plate and then forked over to each other a large helping of noodles. They both slurped a rather long noodle strand.  
  
Amelia giggled when she noticed they were eating the same noodle. When they got to the middle of the spaghetti strand, their lips met in a kiss. Lina and Gourry paused for a moment, pulled away, blushed, and went back to the spaghetti plate to see if they could do that again.  
  
Zelgadis rolled his eyes. "I think I liked it better when they wouldn't admit their feelings."  
  
Amelia's eyes widened in shock. "Mr. Zelgadis, how could you say something so UN-romantic?!"  
  
Zelgadis looked away. "More like being afraid of romance."  
  
Amelia looked like she was about to cry.  
  
Ravven leaned over and whispered to her, "You just have to show him there's nothing to be afraid of, and he'll be following you like Gourry trails Lina around like a whipped puppy... a horny pussy whipped puppy, that is."  
  
Amelia blushed fiercely and punched Ravven into a wall. "How can say something like that!"  
  
Zelgadis scowled angrily. "What did he say?"  
  
Amelia fidgeted. "Nothing really...."  
  
Ravven smirked. "Until you're ready to commit to her, she's fair game. So, don't get jealous over someone taking a chance." He winked at Amelia.  
  
Amelia blinked cluelessly.  
  
Zelgadis growled. "Just stay away from her, pervert."  
  
Ravven chuckled. "Or what? You don't have a right to keep other guys away from her yet. What commitment does she have to you? None. And why? Because you're afraid. Well, I'm not afraid to take a chance."  
  
Zelgadis stood up.  
  
A butter-knife imbedded itself into the table next to Zelgadis, and a fork shook in the wall above Ravven's head.  
  
"That's enough from both of you," Lina said flatly. "Or will Gourry have to use the spoon?"  
  
A spoon twirled between the fingers of Gourry's right hand.  
  
"He started it." Zelgadis motioned toward Ravven.  
  
"You won't finish it," Ravven sarcastically remarked, motioning toward Amelia.  
  
Amelia grabbed her head and rubbed in fiercely. "I don't understand. First Ravven suggests I pussy whip Zelgadis and then he acts as if he propositioned me. What does pussy whip mean anyway?"  
  
Zelgadis blinked he repeatedly. "He what?!"  
  
Ravven thumped his head against the wall. "You just defeated everything I was trying to do."  
  
Lina laughed. "That's a very dangerous game you were playing. It wouldn't take much for Zel to kill you."  
  
Ravven shrugged. "You guys would've stopped it if it ever got that far, right?"   
  
Those at the table looked away.  
  
"Right?" Ravven repeated.  
  
"Maybe," Lina offered.  
  
"MAYBE?!" Ravven freaked.  
  
Lina glance back at Zelgadis. "All right, what's the next plan? We were out of Gemi before any nobles showed up and spotted Amelia. But I don't have any leads for your cure."  
  
"The only clue I have is that it might be in mazoku hands." Zelgadis sighed. "Know of any places the mazoku might use to store Claire Bible Manuscripts?"   
  
"Xellos said something about being a priest of a temple that contained a manuscript when we first met him. Do you think he wasn't really lying about that?" Amelia questioned.  
  
Lina folded her hands. "It's possible. But he's Zelas's 'priest' meaning it could be located at Beast Island."  
  
Ravven took his seat at the table. "If they have been collecting those manuscripts, I doubt they'd concentrate them at any one place. Each of the Greater Lords are likely to have some of the manuscripts." He leaned back. "But I know for a fact Gaav didn't have any."  
  
"And how would you know that?" Zelgadis questioned.  
  
Ravven shrugged. "You're just going to have to trust me on that."  
  
Zelgadis glared. "But I don't trust you at all."  
  
"Your loss." Ravven smirked. "But there might be some at Dynast's fortress."  
  
Lina waved him off. "We can't be sure of that and I hate snow. Any idea Gourry?"  
  
"Ah... early to bed, late to rise," Gourry offered since he hadn't paid any attention.  
  
Lina smacked Gourry in the head. "Should've seen that coming. Amelia?"  
  
Amelia looked deep in thought. "About the only solution to finding out where they would store the manuscripts is getting Xellos to tell us where they are."  
  
Lina rolled her eyes. "Like Xellos is going to walk in a say, 'hello, Lina' and-"  
  
"Hello, Lina," said a firm voice.  
  
Lina looked over at the door and blinked. "With that cue Xellos should've showed up, not you."  
  
Towermere stepped forward. "Lina Inverse, your blasphemy against Ceiphied has gone on too long."  
  
"Who's this guy?" Zelgadis thumbed the new arrival.  
  
"High priest Towermere, of Flare Cathedral. And he's the one that got me married to Gourry, only he thought I was the princess of Edo-- since I kind of switched places with her," Lina informed.  
  
Towermere grumbled. "Will you accede to Ceiphied's will now, or will you continue to go against your god?"  
  
Lina smirked. "Sorry, but my God is Ceiphied's mother. So, I don't have to follow your line of hypocrisy."  
  
Towermere shook in anger. "How dare you say such things?!"  
  
Zelgadis glanced over. He was still upset at the crap Ravven had pulled earlier and he didn't particularly like the priest's attitude. "Mind if I take out the trash?" Zelgadis offered.  
  
"Trash?!" Towermere cried out in outrage.  
  
"Be my guest," Lina chirped.  
  
Amelia touched Zelgadis on the arm. "Don't hurt Teacher too much."  
  
"I won't." Zelgadis blinked. "Teacher?"   
  
"Yes." Amelia nodded. "He taught me almost everything I know about white and spirit magic."   
  
Towermere level a grave look at Zelgadis. "I am acting upon Ceiphied's will, so do not interfere."  
  
Zelgadis scowled back. "You're annoying my friends, so I'm afraid I must do that."  
  
"Oh, Zel, he's immune to magic somehow, so you'll have to beat him up physically," Lina informed.  
  
"Not a problem." Zelgadis smirked.  
  
"Your loyalty to friends is admirable, construct, but this does not concern you-- only Lina Inverse." Towermere tried to push past Zelgadis. "Step aside or I will have to unmake you."  
  
Zelgadis gave a short laugh. "I wish."  
  
Amelia glared at Towermere and then looked softly at Zelgadis. "Dear, you should know Teacher can hold his own in a fist fight against my father."  
  
Zelgadis stared at Amelia.  
  
"Dear?!" Towermere squeaked. "That's the man you've ran away from home for? That freak isn't even human!"  
  
Zelgadis growled and punched Towermere.  
  
"And it's a long flying Towermere out of the inn," Ravven called out and then blinked. "And Zelgadis is running to catch him?" He sweat-dropped. "Ow, and the throw to bank wall. And yes, that's the orihalcon siding of the bank vault he bounced off of. Ew. He'll be feeling that in the morning. Just how does Zel run so fast?"  
  
Ravven was ignored.  
  
Zelgadis dusted his hands off as Towermere's legs hung out of a garbage can. "What now?" he asked.  
  
Lina sighed. "Time to go to a new town."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Another day, another town, another inn, another morning of screwing Gourry back to sleep after waking up, but no clue as where to go next.  
  
Lina sighed. She hated this part of the adventure. She knew something great lay over the horizon, but wasn't sure which path to take to get there. Her new spell, Dragon Slayer, was yet another spell to add to the do not cast list, which meant she would probably have to cast it again for some reason.  
  
About all they could do at the moment was to avoid the annoying priest until the annoying mazoku decided to show up.  
  
"Do you have to do that every morning, Lina?"  
  
Lina turned around and waved cheerfully. "Morning, Zel. How was your night?"  
  
Zelgadis sat down at the Lina's table. "Fine. But I could have done without the early morning wake up call from you and Gourry. Besides, did you have to lie to me?"  
  
"Lie? Which lie?" Lina questioned, but was relieved Zelgadis wasn't pursuing the first part of his conversation.  
  
Zelgadis folded his arms. "About the vacancy of the inn."  
  
"Sorry. Amelia made me do it," Lina chirped.  
  
Zelgadis growled, and then opened his mouth to say something but relaxed a little. He began to massage his forehead. "Before this adventure I'd know you were lying, but now...."  
  
"Amelia is running out of options and time." Lina leaned forward. "So... anything happen?"  
  
Zelgadis blushed and turned away. "That's none of your business."  
  
Lina scooted closer to him. "OH! Something did happen. What did you two do?"  
  
Zelgadis scowled. "I said it was none of your business."  
  
"Is she no longer a shrine MAIDEN, or did one of you get a tongue lashing?" Lina pressed.  
  
Zelgadis flattened his eyes. "I'll tell you if you answer a question for me."  
  
Lina shrugged. "Sure, now give me details."  
  
Zelgadis turned away while his blush deepened. "We just kissed, that's all."  
  
Lina blinked and pouted. "Just kissed?"  
  
Zelgadis nodded. "Yes. Just a kiss."  
  
"How long?" Lina inquired.  
  
Zelgadis fidgeted. "About an hour."  
  
Lina laughed and patted him on the back. "Way to go."  
  
Zelgadis grumbled. "Now about that question."  
  
"Sure, what is it?"  
  
"I want you to explained what happened with Dragon Slayer."  
  
Lina froze for a moment. "W-why do you want to know about that?"  
  
"Not all of my senses are human, Lina. I know there was something odd going on when you cast that spell."  
  
Lina turned away. "It's nothing to worry about. Consider the spell banned. I certainly won't use it again."  
  
"What if Dynast, Dolphin or Zelas decides to claim your head? Won't you use that spell before Giga Slave?" Zelgadis questioned.  
  
"I just won't use it. Okay!?" Lina insisted.  
  
"I answered your question, now I want you to answer mine." Zelgadis glared. "And don't lie to me."   
  
Lina looked like she was going to protest, but shriveled under Zelgadis's gaze.   
  
"Fine." Lina sighed. "Truthfully, I'd rather use the full-perfect of Giga Slav before the full-perfect of Dragon Slayer."  
  
Zelgadis blinked. "Why?"  
  
Lina looked down. "The Lord of Nightmares still has a use for this world, but Shabranigdo wants it destroyed."  
  
A cold shiver ran down Zelgadis's spine. "You don't mean that the Dragon Slayer would summon Shabranigdo, do you?"  
  
"Well... only one of the shards."  
  
"But you cast the full version...." Zelgadis paled even further. "Have you become a shard?"  
  
"I didn't cast the FULL version... I left out a verse. So there's a good chance I'm not a shard." Lina forced a smile.  
  
"You left out a verse?" Zelgadis wondered.  
  
"Yes." Lina nodded firmly. "After I said 'I pledge myself,' I was supposed to add 'I bind myself.' So, by failing to add that in, it should keep me safe as long as I don't cast it again." She patted her friend on the shoulder. "Now don't worry about it."  
  
"Ah, sure...." Zelgadis got up and walked back toward his room. "Don't worry about it, she says.... Who is she kidding? Of course I'm going to worry."  
  
Lina glanced out the window. "Xellos... you have a lot to answer for." She slumped back into her seat. "Now if only you'd show your ass so I can pound the answers out of you."  
  
Zelgadis blinked and stared as he noticed Ravven exiting a room with the bar maid that served them last night.  
  
"So, how long are you going to be staying in town?" the bar maid asked shyly.  
  
"Not long, I'm afraid." Ravven brushed some hair out of her face. "But I should be around for the next couple days at least."  
  
The bar maid blushed. "Too bad we didn't make the most noise last night."  
  
"Those two are newlyweds and are normally noisy. But we can try again tonight," Ravven smiled suavely.  
  
"It's a date if those newlyweds don't break my back first with all their food orders." The bar maid giggled.  
  
Zelgadis stomped past. "Pervert."  
  
"And proud of it." Ravven smirked.  
  
-------------------*  
  
"Care for a sparring match?" Zelgadis asked.  
  
"Sure." Gourry shrugged. "Don't know how good I'll be against you with this sword, though."  
  
"The sword is merely a tool. Talent makes it useful."  
  
"Whatever." Gourry motioned for him to attack. "Ready when you are."  
  
Zelgadis swung several times, but came nowhere near touching Gourry as the swordsman parried each attack.  
  
"You need to attack seriously if you hope to win," Gourry commented.  
  
Zelgadis sweat-dropped. He was fighting seriously. He decided to try to distract Gourry. "When did you get that sword?"  
  
"Lina bought it for me shortly before we got married. It proved to be a lot better than we expected," Gourry answered.  
  
"What happened to the one those Peace-Men guys gave you?" Zelgadis questioned.  
  
Gourry smiled weakly. "It broke when I used it on a bandit wearing some oreocon armor."  
  
"You mean orihalcon armor?" Zelgadis guessed.  
  
"Yeah, that's it." Gourry nodded.   
  
"How well do you think it'll work on a mazoku?" Zelgadis asked.  
  
Gourry shrugged. "Not sure, haven't used it on any yet. It won't work as good as the Sword of Light, I can tell you that."  
  
"You'd need the Blast Sword powered by Lina's magic to do that." Zelgadis was annoyed that despite the conversation Gourry showed no signs of being distracted.  
  
"What's that?" Gourry parried and smacked his opponent on the head.   
  
"Just another legendary blade." Zelgadis pressed his attack.  
  
"Oh." Gourry blinked.  
  
"Gourry, keep an eye on Lina." Zelgadis caught Gourry's blade with his own.  
  
"I like keeping both eyes on her." Gourry pushed Zelgadis away.  
  
Zelgadis growled. "What I mean to say is that she'll have more mazoku problems now that she knows Dragon Slayer."  
  
"What else is new?" Gourry didn't seem bothered.  
  
"Some of them, Xellos particularly, may try to hurt her."  
  
"I'm her protector. If anyone hurts her, it means I'm dead and there wasn't anything I can do to stop it." Gourry disarmed Zelgadis.  
  
Zelgadis nodded and picked up his sword. "Should've expected that. Just be careful, Gourry. Without the Sword of Light, you're not much good against a mazoku."  
  
"I'll just do everything that I can." Gourry smacked Zelgadis on both cheeks with the flat of his blade.   
  
Zelgadis smirked. "And somehow I think that'll be enough, even if you can't hurt a mazoku."  
  
"Thanks." Gourry brought the pummel of his sword down on Zelgadis's head.  
  
Zelgadis collapsed to the ground. "OW! So maybe you can hurt a mazoku."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Xellos's notes:  
  
Stay tuned for the next wonderful chapter staring me, Xellos! As I finally join Lina's rag tag bunch and play a game of twenty stupid questions.  
  
As for the Blast Sword, no Gourry doesn't have it. Archive put in the reference since his next Slayers series, The Slayers: Finesse, will not follow Try continuity, but more of the novel continuity with an anime slant to them.   



	10. Questions? Answers.

The Slayers: Reward  
  
Chapter 10: Question? Answers.  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The Slayers belong to Hajime Kanazaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, SOFTX, Software Sculptures Ltd., and many others. I do not own them. I'm only borrowing them. I'll return them as quickly as I can since Lina and Gourry are eating away bank account.  
  
This begins a few months after Slayers: Try. There are a few spoilers in this; I won't specifically explain anything, but I will refer to them. If you don't want even vague spoilers, I suggest that you don't read this.  
  
Lime Warning: The reason why this warning is here is very evident in this chapter. Sexual comments WILL be made in this part, but no sexual acts directly described.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Without any other viable direction, the group had decided they would head to Beast Island to find Xellos.   
  
Amelia bounced down the stairs of an inn.  
  
Lina smirked. "Any luck?"   
  
"Sort of." Amelia blushed.  
  
Lina's eyes widened. "Oh? Details!"  
  
Amelia fidgeted. "Mrs. Lina! I can't tell you about that!"  
  
Lina pouted. "Why not? I told you about Gourry and me."  
  
Gourry blushed.   
  
Zelgadis raised an eyebrow as he had followed behind Amelia.  
  
"Now, now, Lina. You know very well ladies should keep some things a secret."  
  
Everyone turned to see a man, clad in white and black clothes, a pastry eating with white cream dust covered fingers. He then licked the cream off his fingers. He then stuck his tongue into the pastry and moaned in delight.  
  
Zelgadis was the first to speak. "D-did you spy on us?"  
  
The man smirked. "Why would you ask that... Rock-chan?"  
  
"Xellos, you son of a.... I'm going to kill you!" Zelgadis went to punch the mazuko, but his target teleported away.  
  
Xellos laughed until he felt someone punch him hard on the head. "Why did you hit me?" he asked from the floor.  
  
Lina crossed her arms. "In case you spied on me."  
  
Xellos grinned. "The thought never crossed my mind."  
  
Lina scowled. "Make sure it never does." She picked the mazoku up by the collar. "Now I have a bunch of questions I want answered. "  
  
"Now, now Lina. You know I can't just give out information." Xellos smiled cheerfully.  
  
Ravven stood off to the side of the room, examining his sword. "Wonder how this would look shoved up your ass?"  
  
"I'd prefer it if it was the sword of light," Zelgadis growled.  
  
"My, how painful that sounds." Xellos sweat-dropped. "Do you really need to do this?"  
  
"Elmira Lance!" Lina fired the bolt of spirit magic into the mazoku's head. "Yes, we do."  
  
Xellos gripped his head. "Here I thought you getting laid would've decreased your temper."  
  
"No such luck," Gourry commented.   
  
Lina scowled at her husband, then turned her glare back at the mazoku. "Now, Xellos, I have some questions that I want answered. And don't make me repeat myself again."  
  
"Fine, fine. I'll play your game of twenty stupid questions." Xellos sat in a chair. "But that's all you get, twenty."  
  
"Fine. Explain, in as much detail you can, just how Rei Magnus had a Claire Bible Manuscript," Lina commanded.  
  
"Stupid question one," Xellos chirped. "There were originally nine shards of Shabranigdo. The second ruined shard created the first tomes of Black Magic, which were named after the Ceiphied Knight that killed him, Claire."  
  
"There were nine shards?" Lina blinked.  
  
"Yes." Xellos smirked. "Question number three?"  
  
"What are you talking about? I only asked one questioned."  
  
"You asked me if there were nine shards and I answered you. That's what I'm talking about. Question four?" Xellos smiled cheerfully.  
  
Lina growled. "Okay, fine. Now where do the mazoku keep Claire Bible Manuscripts?"  
  
Xellos's eyes flattened. "That's supposed to be a secret, you know."  
  
"Duh. But we want the answer. And if you don't tell us, I'll shove Laguna Blade up your ass," Lina threatened.  
  
"Assuming you could hit me." Xellos sweated nervously. "Fine, but this might get me into trouble. At least I wasn't ordered not to tell you." He sighed. "While some manuscripts are held in various places, the majority of the ones obtained by the mazoku are located at Zander's Library."  
  
"Zander?" Lina blinked. "Annoying stoic fellow, black hair, green eyes, about as tall as you."  
  
"You've met him?" Xellos questioned with a surprised look.  
  
Lina sighed. "Yeah. I met him. We were both after a Claire Bible Manuscript. I succeeded in getting it with some rather unwanted help. Damn, I knew that creep was a mazoku. Where is his library?"  
  
"The Mountain of Tears," Xellos replied.  
  
Lina scowled. "Where exactly on that mountain?"   
  
"Not on, IN. The mountain itself is the library," Xellos answered.  
  
"Tell us everything you can about Zander," Lina ordered.  
  
Xellos nodded. "Zander was created by all five of the mazoku lords after the destruction of the second shard to find and safe guard the manuscripts. His job was expanded when the Water Dragon King stored his knowledge as well. What makes him truly dangerous was that he was made with the ability to cast spells and with Fibrizo's death he doesn't answer to any one of the mazoku lords."  
  
A shiver ran up Zelgadis's spine. "But he's been put in charge of an entire library of nearly every spell in existence. How can we possibly fight him?"  
  
"The same way you fight any other opponent, with determination, skill and dumb luck," Xellos chirped.  
  
"Wonderful. A mazoku of your caliber and he already wants me dead," Lina groaned. "This is what I live for?"  
  
Xellos smiled. "No. You live for bandit slaying. Mazoku slaying is a side-effect of Fibrizo's meddling."  
  
"That doesn't count. It was a rhetorical question." Lina glared.  
  
"What's a rectal question?" Gourry questioned.  
  
"Rectal is a term for the inside of a butt hole. Rhetorical question, which is what Lina said, is a question that an answer is not necessary for. Next question," Xellos chirped.  
  
Lina slammed Gourry's head through a table. "Don't waste questions."  
  
"Do you know of any means to cure myself of being a chimera?" Zelgadis questioned.  
  
"Yes," Xellos replied.  
  
"What are they?" Zelgadis demanded.  
  
"The Claire Bible Manuscripts, of course," Xellos replied.  
  
"Do you know where those specific manuscripts are?" Zelgadis asked.  
  
"Yes." Xellos didn't say any more.  
  
"Where?!" Zelgadis growled.  
  
Xellos grinned. "Zander's library."  
  
"Learn to phrase your questions better," Lina barked.   
  
"Do you know how I can delay getting married and yet keep the throne?" Amelia questioned.  
  
"What? I'd have thought you were already probing deeply into the idea of wedded bliss," Xellos chirped.  
  
Amelia blushed the color a ripe cherry. "Elmekia Flame!"  
  
Xellos's head shot back from the blow to his head. His hair swept back and remained stiffly in the air. "Owe. That hurt."  
  
Ravven's mouth hung open. "What kind of mazoku are you?"  
  
Xellos flattened his eyes, his was back to normal. "Priest and general to Zelas Metallium."  
  
"Priest AND general?!" the group chorused except Gourry.  
  
"Yes." Xellos sighed. "Do keep that a secret. I don't want it getting around."   
  
"What's the big deal?" Gourry asked.  
  
Xellos smirked. "With most of the mazoku lords, they made only one priest and one general. Fibrizo stupidly made too many. And Zelas invested both positions to me."  
  
"Would Ra Tilt or Dragon Slave even be able to stop him?" Amelia questioned.  
  
"Very doubtful. You'd have to catch me by surprise," Xellos replied.  
  
Lina glared at the wayward princess.  
  
Amelia gulped. She decided to change topics. "Mr. Xellos, my question."  
  
"Oh, right. Just don't get married until you're ready and then take the throne by force." Xellos grinned. "There's too much bureaucratic red tape in your country anyway."  
  
"But, wouldn't that start a civil war?" Amelia questioned nervously.  
  
"Of course. But I'm sure you'd win with Lina's help," Xellos assured her.  
  
"Tell me about the Amulet Towermere has," Lina demanded.  
  
"That's stupid question twenty-one," Xellos chirped before disappearing. His voice trailed behind, "But I'll tell... later. See you at the mountain."  
  
Lina stomped over to a window. "THAT JERK!" She flung a huge fireball outside and expanded the back yard of the inn.  
  
"We know where to go now at least." Zelgadis sighed.  
  
"Yeah, with several days of back tracking. We could've been there already if he told us after we left Magnus's mansion." Lina plopped down at a table. "Waitress! I want five of everything on the menu."  
  
Zelgadis looked over at the frightened girl. "I'd go with ten of everything to be safe."  
  
-------------------*  
  
"Time to go!" Lina stepped out of the inn.  
  
"Finally," breathed the waitress.  
  
The group followed Lina out of the inn.  
  
"Finally going to do what is right?" Towermere asked.  
  
Lina slouched. "Not you again. Gourry, your turn."  
  
"My turn for what?" Gourry asked.  
  
"Garbage disposal." Lina pointed at Towermere.  
  
"Ms. Inverse, you must learn respect," Towermere growled.  
  
"Oh, and would you be the one to teach me?" Lina questioned.  
  
"Yes. Elmekia lance." Towermere sent off a beam of spirit energy.  
  
Gourry slice through the beam with his sword, somehow disrupting the spell. "You'll have to get through me first."  
  
"Stand aside." Towermere demanded. "Laphas Seed."   
  
Gourry jumped out of the way, and energy bands wrapped around Amelia, who was standing behind him.  
  
Towermere looked up in time to see the sword pummel strike him in the forehead. He fell to the ground, unconscious.  
  
"Come on. Let's go." Lina turned and walked away.  
  
Ravven scratched the back of his head. "The last group I was in would've looted him."  
  
"We loot bandits, not priests," Gourry commented.  
  
Lina shook her head. "Yeah. He's just being anal."  
  
"Um, Lina. Isn't that a word for ass?" Gourry asked.  
  
"Yes." Lina groaned. "It can also mean someone being way too strict in their views."   
  
Gourry blinked. "Oh."   
  
Zelgadis picked up and carried Amelia in his arms. "Let's just get out of here before he wakes up."  
  
Ravven chuckled. "Bet she fakes being bound longer than she really will be."  
  
"No takers," Lina comments.  
  
-------------------*  
  
"Can we NOT go through Hiden?" Ravven asked.  
  
Amelia blinked. "Why? It would take us longer if we avoided that town."  
  
Ravven scratched the back of his head. "It's just the mayor of the town wants me dead."  
  
Lina folded her arms. "Why?"   
  
Ravven chuckled nervously. "I sort of slept with his daughter."  
  
"How do you 'sort of' sleep with someone?" Zelgadis growled.  
  
Ravven smirked. "Like how you 'sort of' slept with Amelia. He interrupted before we got too far. He thinks I took her virginity."  
  
"Did you?" Zelgadis questioned harshly.  
  
Ravven shook his head. "Never got that far."  
  
Amelia hummed to herself. "That would be Alicia, right?"  
  
"That's her," Ravven confirmed.  
  
Amelia shook her head. "She's not a virgin."  
  
"How would you know?" Zelgadis asked.  
  
"About a month before I ran away there was a general meeting of the leaders of Sailoon's towns and cities. I was put in charge of keeping an eye on the leaders' daughters. Alicia had quite an eye for the boys." Amelia blushed. "And she didn't mind telling us all about being with a boy later."  
  
"So, we should go through Hiden then," Zelgadis concluded.  
  
"No." Amelia sighed. "If Mr. Roseward sees either Ravven or me, we'll end up having to deal with Hiden's troops. Being so close to a border, we have quite a few there."  
  
"We'll just have to take this path." Ravven pointed. "However, there's a rumor that the Golden Crest Bandits have their hideout along that path."  
  
"Bandits?" Lina chirped. "Then we have to take that route."  
  
"Mrs. Lina, we have to hurry. We have a month and a half until my birthday," Amelia pointed out.  
  
"I know. But we could use some traveling money." Lina grinned. "Besides, they'll be a good warm up for when I have to deal with Zander."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Xellos's notes:  
  
I'm finally in a part, and I get one lousy scene. I'm going to have to talk to my agent.  
  
Anyway, Archive apologizes for the delay in writing this part. Many things factored in, but mostly was trying to figure out how to write the twenty stupid questions. He also apologizes for length, but it doesn't look like that could be helped much.  
  
I'm sure you have many questions as to some of what's going on, but things will be made clearer as the story progresses.  
  
Amazingly it looks like Archive will actually finish this series in three more episodes. Since those were among the most plotted out of the series, they shouldn't take as long as this part to write.  
  
In the next part Lina travels to the Mountain of Tears, and does some bandit cleaning along the way.  



	11. Mazoku. They're Nothing But Trouble!

The Slayers: Reward  
  
Chapter 11: Mazoku. They're Nothing But Trouble!  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The Slayers belong to Hajime Kanazaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, SOFTX, Software Sculptures Ltd., and many others. I do not own them. I'm only borrowing them. I'll return them as quickly as I can since Lina and Gourry are eating away bank account.  
  
Lime Warning: The reason why this warning is here is very evident in this chapter. Sexual comments WILL be made in this part, but no sexual acts directly described.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Such a fine day to be a mazoku.  
  
The buildings were burning with an unholy might. People screamed for salvation, but found none, and instead were slaughtered mercilessly. Those that could do something about this either didn't care or were frozen with indecision.  
  
The funny things was, last week it would've described what these bandits did to a small village. As they had come like an unimaginable force and raped, murdered and pillaged the town to nothingness, they now faced and even greater force-- Lina Inverse-Gabriev: the Slayer, the Dragon Spooker, the Pink.  
  
No 'bandit' wasn't accidentally left off the slayer part of the title. Lina has racked quite a few mazoku, dragons, werewolves, et cetera kills as well. Suffice it to say, she's simply a slayer of all things that get in her way.  
  
Of course, calling Lina by that title would be a bad idea. Even though some people like pain, that would be a capital offense worthy of Laguna Blade. Lina was touchy like that.  
  
After all, Lina's wrath on the bandits wouldn't have been this fierce if a certain rumor of Lina Inverse being married hadn't reached them. When she was about to start her attack and pillage scheme, she overheard some of the bandits talking about the marriage. One of them commented, 'only an idiot would marry Lina Inverse.' Well, Gourry heard that as well and announced, 'I'm that idiot.'  
  
Needless to say, Gourry was blasted off into the distance by his beloved bride and the onslaught commenced.  
  
Now one has to wonder how that rumor started.  
  
Anyway, beyond the screaming, the fear and in some of the foolish: bloodlust, anger and vengeance-- there were other morsels for a mazoku to enjoy. Lina's own bloodlust aside, there was seemingly stoic Zelgadis. His anger at this 'unreasonable' delay was quite amusing.  
  
Then there was poor little Amelia. On one hand she wanted to help Lina destroy these bandits to right the injustice they did to so many hapless people. On the other hand, however, she wanted to stop Lina from enacting the injustice of this butchering on the bandits. While her thoughts weren't truly dark or fearful, her conflicting emotions were rather simply a light spice to this grand meal.  
  
Gourry was still out cold, so his thoughts amounted to simple lustful dreams of a newlywed. Best not to go there, though, too much love.  
  
Then there was the new member of Lina's little group. He was neither a bystander nor an active participant in the execution of bandits. His thoughts were filled with greed, vengeance and longing. They also contained an interesting taint to them.  
  
-------------------*  
  
"A runt like you can't be doing this to my bandits," growled the six foot, armored like a tank leader holding an oddly shaped two-handed sword.  
  
"Wish I could say I was, but that's Lina Inverse's work. I'm just here for your sword." Ravven brandished his own weapon.  
  
The armored leader laughed. "You can try, but you'll die." The battle began as he swung down.  
  
  
Ravven blocked with his sword and strained to remain standing from the leader's great strength. He wasn't about to lose to some back-watered bandit this close to part of his objective after he had worked so hard to trick Lina in this direction. He really HAD slept with a mayor's daughter and unless the girl bragged, no one would know.   
  
With a heavy grunt, Ravven knocked away the bandit leader, who recovered quickly.  
  
"You'll have to do better than that, whelp," the bandit leader sneered. He raised his sword to attack again, but then froze.  
  
The giant sword slipped through his boneless fingers and clattered to the ground. Then with a mighty crash the bandit leader also fell.  
  
Ravven blinked. "Why did you do that?"  
  
Xellos pulled the staff away from where he stabbed the bandit leader and shrugged. "Looked like you needed help."  
  
Ravven sheathed his sword picked up the two-handed sword and studied it, noticing how the top of the blade was unnaturally smooth and oddly cut. "I didn't need any help."  
  
"I see." Xellos chuckled. "So you are his boy after all."  
  
"What's that to you?" Ravven sneered.  
  
Xellos smiled. "How'd you like-"  
  
"No," Ravven interrupted firmly.  
  
"Think of what you can gain?" Xellos insisted.  
  
"How about what I'd lose?" Ravven retorted.  
  
Xellos shrugged. "Suit yourself." He vanished with a puff of darkness.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Lina giggled like a schoolgirl as she let the gold coins trickle through her fingers.   
  
Amelia looked away. "Hey, Ravven. Where'd you go?"  
  
"Had a score to settle with the leader. Took his sword as a prize," Ravven replied.  
  
"So, that's why you had us go this way." Lina shrugged and then eyed the sword. "Can I see that?"  
  
"Let him keep it, Lina," Gourry commented.  
  
Lina blinked. "You sure?"  
  
Gourry nodded.  
  
"Can we get going?" Zelgadis growled. "The longer we wait, the more trouble we have."  
  
"He does need his cure so I can marry him," Amelia added.  
  
Zelgadis jerked as if hit.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Yawn. After that lovely bit of entertainment, the remainder of the journey was rather boring.  
  
The only bright spot was Ravven taking a turn at pounding on Towermere. Ravven had foolishly tried to outdo Zelgadis, but didn't have nearly as much skill.   
  
Now their long trek had come to an end, but I wonder if they remembered that they forgot to ask how to get into the library.  
  
Oh, this will be so much fun to watch.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Lina and crew stared up the mountain at its base and asked, "Do any of you see a way in?"  
  
Zelgadis palmed his face. "We forgot to ask Xellos how to get inside. You know it's not going to have a visible entrance since no one even knows the mountain is really hollow."  
  
Lina grabbed her hair. "Why didn't someone think about that before?"  
  
"At least I didn't ask any stupid questions," Ravven said defensively.  
  
"Yes you did, you asked him what type of mazoku he was," Lina shot back.  
  
"Was it stupid when you didn't even know?" Ravven returned.  
  
Lina growled and stomped to the side of the mountain. She cried out, "Bephis Bring!" Magic flowed through Lina's hands pushing aside the Earth forming a tunnel.  
  
Gourry scratched his head. "Every time I think I've seen all her spells, out pops a new one."  
  
Lina glared over at him. "Like you can remember every spell I've cast. Remember how we made the trench before blowing up the mansion?"  
  
Gourry shrugged. "Ah, no."  
  
Lina massaged her forehead.  
  
"I doubt this will get us all the way in," Zelgadis grumbled.  
  
"We'll just have to go with the bigger stuff when that happens," Lina retorted.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Xellos looked up as an explosion rocked the table which held his tea. Through the hole in the side of an enormous library stood Lina and crew.  
  
Xellos sighed. "I was hoping you'd have a few problems getting in, but I should've known you'd make your own door."  
  
"Where's Zander?" Lina questioned.  
  
"Eager for a fight?" Xellos returned.  
  
"No. I just don't want any surprises," Lina said flatly.  
  
"He's on a fool's errand claiming a Claire Bible Manuscript. It should keep him occupied for a while. However, it's best you hurry as he can sense if the library has been damaged if he checks," Xellos explained.  
  
"Where're the manuscripts we need?" Zelgadis asked.  
  
"That you'll have to find out yourself, but I will explain this: the library is divided into books, scrolls, and tablets and each section is sorted alphabetically," Xellos answered.  
  
"You heard him, let's go hunting!" Lina called out and ran into the see of magical books.  
  
"This must contain every portion of the Claire Bible," Ravven said in slight awe.  
  
"Hardly, this isn't even one percent of the true bible that was the Water Dragon King, but that one was infinite," Xellos said simply.  
  
"Why are you being so giving with information, Mr. Xellos," Amelia asked from a nearby row of scrolls.  
  
"I have my reasons," Xellos smiled at her.  
  
"Which are?" Amelia pressed.  
  
"Now that's a secret." Xellos winked.  
  
Amelia crashed to the floor. "Should have seen that coming."  
  
  
"Why that son of a...." Lina growled holding a tablet with the bottom left corner broken off.  
  
"What's wrong?" Gourry asked.  
  
"Nothing much besides finding Rezo's legacy here," Lina grumbled.  
  
"Rezo?" Gourry scratched his head. "Where did I hear that name before?"  
  
Lina used the tablet to bat Gourry away for saying something that stupid.  
  
Xellos slurped his tea as Gourry crashed into the wall behind him. "Interesting effect," the mazoku commented.  
  
Lina pocketed the tablet in her cloak of holding and kept looking... er looting tablets. They didn't really have to do anything with chimera. They were all magical and highly powerful.  
  
  
After several minutes of watching them ransack the library, Xellos stood up as he sensed something. "Lina, Gourry, Ravven... Zander is coming. Why don't you three go outside to give Zelgadis and Amelia more time."  
  
"You going to help?" Lina asked.  
  
"Fight Zander? I'm not allowed to," Xellos replied.  
  
"Some help you are," Lina groused.  
  
"I can offer you this. Gourry's sword, Dragon Cleaver, is great for filleting dragons, but not much more. Against a mazoku it's almost useless save for the lowest level ones. I'd suggest you use one of Ravven's swords. Both can be effective on a mazoku. I better leave before Zander notices me. See ya." Xellos vanished in swirl of blackness.  
  
Ravven glanced at the sword strapped to his hip. With a sigh he removed it from his belt and tossed it at Gourry. "That's Demon Claw, supposedly made from a demon's claw. I can vouch that it is effective against mazoku."  
  
"What about the other sword?" Lina asked.  
  
Ravven unsheathed it. "This is what I'll be using."  
  
Lina scratched her head. The sword looked familiar to her for some reason. She then shrugged, knowing it would come back to her later. Now was to deal with Zander. She spotted to gigantic stylized and painted oaken doors. "Let's greet him outside," Lina suggested.  
  
The two swordsmen nodded and followed Lina.  
  
The trio didn't have to wait long after walking through the door. A bolt of lightning crashed before them. When the light faded away the mazoku librarian, Zander, stood before them.  
  
Zander did not look like a terrible creature of destruction. He looked like a stogy old mage. "Not only do you interfere with my duties, now you rob my library," the mazoku growled angrily.  
  
"Yeah, well your bosses keep having other plans," Lina retorted.  
  
Zander seemed to gaze deeply into the library. "Ah, you seek the manuscripts concerning Zelgadis's gift." He paused. "I don't care to fight you. I'd rather work out a trade."  
  
"A trade?" Lina questioned.  
  
"Yes. I want the manuscript Fibrizo helped you obtain. In exchange, you can have the manuscripts for your friend," Zander said simply.  
  
"Not a chance in hell am I letting you have that," Lina replied. "Besides, I don't have it with me."  
  
"I can sense that. You don't have to give it to me. Just tell me where I can find it," Zander returned.  
  
"Somewhere I don't want to go and safe from you," Lina stated flatly.  
  
Gourry brightened and smashed his fist into his palm. "You gave it to Luna."  
  
Lina crashed heavily into the ground from shock. She snarled angrily, "You're not supposed to figure it out for him."  
  
Zander frowned. "So the Ceiphied Knight has the Giga Slav manuscript. Very disconcerting. It would be difficult taking it from her."   
  
Ravven glanced at Lina and asked, "What major powers haven't you met?"  
  
"Dynast, Dolphin, Death Fog, Chaotic Blue, the four greater dragon gods, and oh, the Earth and Air Dragon Kings. I'm not sure if the large crystal at the Fire Dragon Shrine was the Fire Dragon King sleeping or just a statue," Lina rattled off.  
  
Ravven sweat-dropped. "Wait, you didn't mention Dark Star."  
  
"I ruined half of him," Lina chirped.  
  
Ravven remembered the night sky to the south had become the deepest black he had ever seen then became more brilliant than a bright sunny day a few months back. He paled at the thought that Lina was an honest to god, God Slayer.  
  
"The power that let you do that no longer exists on this world, so don't think I'll be intimidated by that," Zander said gruffly.  
  
"You do know of my other abilities, right Zander?" Lina questioned seemingly innocently.  
  
"You are referring to Laguna Blade which Xellos stupidly let you have," Zander growled. "Not to mention the boost gems that let you cast them. However, you should not forget I know Laguna Blade myself and ALL the spells in the library. Can you possibly compare your talents of one world when I have spells from three others as well?"  
  
Lina sweat-dropped. Zander certainly had a point about his power level. He did know literally every spell that was in her spell book that she hadn't made herself save one. However, she had numbers on her side. "Do you really want to try your luck against me?" Lina questioned.  
  
"If it must come to that." Zander shifted positions.  
  
Lina smirked. Zander might be able to cast spells, but he didn't have any special ability in casting them. His stance was indicative of a mage ready to select one of any number of spells with somatic components, particularly fire spells. "Get ready," Lina called out.  
  
Zander brought a hand before his lips and began chanting.  
  
Lina didn't want to know what he was casting. "Elmekia Lance!"  
  
Zander grimaced as the blast shot through his shoulder, but he continued to cast the spell.  
  
Lina stared dumbly as all of them began to glow in golden light. "He's casting a HOLY spell?!"  
  
"Masse Telepotium!" Zander called out and suddenly Lina, Gourry, and Ravven found themselves in a grassy field along with Amelia, Zelgadis and Zander.  
  
"Tricky bastard," Lina sneered.  
  
"Don't want my library further damaged." Zander spread out his arms. "Now to deal with you. Great Spirit of air, I call out to you to send forth your wrath. Hail Storm!"  
  
Lina and crew danced around trying to dodge the grapefruit sized hailstones falling from the cloudless sky.  
  
"Can't this guy use something we've actually seen before?" Ravven sarcastically asked.  
  
"Fine." Zander raised his hand over his head. "Flare Arrow!" An impossible number of flaming arrows appeared and launched at them.  
  
"Windy Shield!" Lina called out, creating a barrier of solid air between her group and Zander. The flaming arrows exploded harmless against it while Lina glared at Ravven.  
  
Zander glanced over seeing a pair of mages casting in concert. "Dark Shroud," the mazoku said simply.  
  
"Ra Tilt!" Amelia and Zelgadis chorused.  
  
Zander smirked at them with a faint black aura swirling around him.  
  
"What the?! That's MY spell! I made it! How can you cast it?!" Lina ranted like an upset four-year old denied her favorite toy. "That does it. YOU ARE TOAST. Lord of Darkness and the Four Worlds I call upon you. Grant me all the power you possess!"  
  
Zander brought his hands together and started chanting.  
  
"Oh no you don't," Zelgadis said, not knowing what spell the mazoku was going to cast, but was sure he had to stop it. "Dynast Breath!"  
  
Zander became frozen in place as he was encased in solid ice, but Zelgadis cursed noticing a faint golden glow around the mazoku.  
  
"Get down!" Gourry called out.  
  
"...you and I possess. Dragon Slav!"  
  
An Earth shattering kaboom rocked the ground and threatened to rupture their ear-drums as Lina focused the enhanced Dragon Slave in as tight of blast she could make it.  
  
There was an unnatural silence that followed as they waited on baited breath to find out if Lina had managed to kill Zander.  
  
The smoke cleared and Zander hovered above them, his robes slightly burnt but otherwise looked unharmed.  
  
"How the hell did he live through that?!" Ravven questioned in surprise.  
  
"High level mazoku are annoying that way," Amelia replied. "They hate dying."  
  
"Shall we stop this senseless fighting?" Zander questioned. "All you have to do is help me obtain the Giga Slav manuscript from the Ceiphied Knight and I'll let you keep the manuscripts that you've stolen."  
  
"He's hurt more than he's letting on," Gourry commented.  
  
Lina analyzed the mazoku. "Maybe, but I don't know if I have enough power to go for another enhanced Dragon Slav. And no idea if that'd be enough."  
  
"What's the plan, Mrs. Lina?" Amelia asked.  
  
"COVER our escape," Lina answered.  
  
"Cover?" Amelia questioned. "I don't know if it'll work against him." She sighed. "Dark Mist!"  
  
Suddenly the entire area was flooded with black fog clouds. Zander scowled and raised his arms. "Typhoon Blast!"  
  
Unlike Bomb Di Win which sends a high gust of wind in a small area, the entire field in front of Zander was ravaged by winds from that of the fiercest storm the region had ever seen.  
  
Zander sweat-dropped after blowing away the black clouds. "Where are they?" he questioned.  
  
  
Gourry felt like someone was rolling him down hill in a barrel. The Ray Wing Lina had cast carried him off with her when the sudden gust of unimaginably strong winds hurled them away, but it took all of Lina's concentration to hold on to the wind bubble. Especially with the way they tumbled around in it.  
  
Finally the wind stopped and the group was able to come under control.  
  
"Whoa! Funky trip," Ravven said dizzily while inside Zelgadis's Ray Wing bubble.  
  
"Where to now?" Zelgadis questioned.  
  
"We need to go somewhere that'd make it difficult for Zander to find us," Lina replied.  
  
"Where could we go that could do that?" Amelia asked.  
  
"About only one place I know that would have enough magical interference that might blind Zander, Sairaag," Lina answered. "Fortunately, we aren't that far away from it." She pointed in the distance where the familiar three times destroyed city lay.  
  
Amelia landed and dispelled her Ray Wing. "We should walk there to conserve our magic."  
  
Lina nodded. "Good idea." She landed and ended her spell as well.  
  
"I thought I saw you!"  
  
Lina sagged looking over at who called that. "How did you possibly find us already?"  
  
"I won't stop until you've acceded to the demands placed upon you," was the angry reply.  
  
"Allow me. I do believe this would be my turn." Xellos said cheerfully as he appeared from a swirl of blackness. "Now how should I go about 'Pound the Towermere?'"  
  
"A mazoku?!" Towermere called out in shock. "You ally yourselves with demons?"  
  
"He's useful from time to time," Lina replied. "Go ahead and play with him. Just don't kill him or do any permanent harm."  
  
Xellos pouted. "Oh, you're no fun." He turned his attention back to Towermere. "Now what to do first?"  
  
Amelia stared uneasily as Xellos batted Towermere with his staff. "Promise you won't do anything too bad to him."  
  
Xellos waved her off. "I promise. Now you better hurry to Sairaag."  
  
With that Lina and crew rushed down the road to Sairaag.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Xellos's notes:  
  
Well, as you can see contract negotiations are done and I'm finally more than some bit player. Archive promises to work on the remainder of this series to have it completed soon.  
  
I guess I should offer thanks to Michael Chase and Troy Thomas for pre-reading this while I'm here.  
  
See ya soon.  



	12. Sairaag! The Tinder City

The Slayers: Reward  
  
Chapter 12: Sairaag! The Tinder City  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The Slayers belong to Hajime Kanazaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, SOFTX, Software Sculptures Ltd., and many others. I do not own them. I'm only borrowing them. I'll return them as quickly as I can since Lina and Gourry are eating away bank account.  
  
Lime Warning: The reason why this warning is here is very evident in this chapter. Sexual comments WILL be made in this part, but no sexual acts directly described.  
  
-------------------*  
  
"Welcome to Sairaag, the Tinder City, I'm Kribore," greeted a young man of average looks at the border of the city.  
  
"Having your city blown up twice in a couple years time isn't something to be proud of," Lina commented dryly.  
  
"Isn't it supposed to be the HOLY city?" Amelia questioned.  
  
"Without the Holy Tree, we can't quite call this the Holy City, now can we?" Kribore nervously laughed. "Our only claim to fame now is this is where Fibrizo was ruined."  
  
Gourry shrugged. "He's got a point."  
  
Kribore nodded. "Now will this be a short visit, or maybe you'd like some more permanent lodgings?"  
  
"Are any of Rezo's homes intact?" Zelgadis questioned.  
  
"The mayor had the southern most one repaired and is using that as his home," Kribore replied. "Why do you ask?"  
  
Zelgadis didn't reply.  
  
"We're just here for a short visit, so just point us toward the inn," Lina said.  
  
"Very well, but first I have to warn you, any use of magic within Sairaag is against the law and is punishable by death," Kribore stated. "By the way, may I ask your names?"  
  
Lina laughed nervously. "I'm, ah, Lala Gabriev, and this is my husband, Gourreth."  
  
Gourry blinked, opened his mouth and then yelped as Lina stomped on his foot.  
  
"I'm Lulu... Lia, yeah Lulu Lia," Amelia chirped.  
  
"Ravven Del Woods," Ravven bowed slightly.  
  
"Zelgadis Graywords," Zelgadis stated simply.  
  
Kribore's eyes widened. "Zelgadis?! Servant of Rezo and companion of Lina Inverse?"  
  
Zelgadis growled but nodded.  
  
Kribore stiffened and pointed down the street. "The inn is that way. Remember ANY magic use is against the law. Hope you enjoy your SHORT stay."  
  
Lina lead her group in the direction Kribore pointed.  
  
Kribore waved them away nervously, then dashed into his house. A moment later he dragged his wife away from Sairaag while carrying a hastily packed suitcase.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Gourry sat at the inn's dining area, poking at some food.  
  
"Guess even you have some limit to you bottomless pit," Ravven commented.  
  
Gourry let out a long sighed.  
  
"What's with him?" a waitress asked.  
  
"The honeymoon just ended for him. His wife is more interested in some books she found, than him," Ravven explained.  
  
"She must be nuts to choose books over a man like him," the waitress remarked.  
  
Ravven held a hand to his chest, acting hurt. "But what about lonely old me? I have no woman to even call my own."  
  
The waitress hadn't paid much attention to Ravven but now looked closely at him and then scowled darkly in recognition. "Well, I'll be sure to have my sister come here with your daughter, Mr. Ravven Del Woods."  
  
Ravven squirmed. "Who would this lady be, and how can you be sure that the girl is my daughter?"  
  
"Like you would remember Natalia," the waitress shot back.  
  
"Natalia..." Ravven paused. "Lovely brown hair and gray eyes, and VERY experienced in the bedroom."  
  
The waitress rolled her eyes. "Wish I could say you were lying about that." She huffed and walked off.  
  
"So... you have a kid," Gourry mentioned.  
  
Ravven shrugged. "Maybe. Probably have a few children by now."  
  
"How can you be like that? Wasn't there ever someone special in you life?" Gourry asked.  
  
Ravven shook his head. "Thanks to Dad, love is fleeting for me. Lust is all I can hold on to."  
  
Gourry shrugged. "Your sword was your father's right?"  
  
Ravven looked a little nervous. "Yeah."  
  
"Well, at least you're not a bastard like your father was." Gourry stood up. "Care for a sparring match?"  
  
Ravven just let out a short laugh. "You're an odd one, Mr. Gabriev. Let's see how I stand up to your sword arm."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Lina set aside one tablet she acquired and was about to move onto the next when she heard the sounds of weapons clashing. She peered out her window to see Gourry giving Ravven a sword lesson. There was no other way to refer to it as Gourry dwarfed Ravven's skill immensely.   
  
Lina went back to her studies. It didn't take her long to finish reading over all the ones she had taken that had to deal with chimeras. Of the ones she read, only Rezo's legacy had anything to do with Zelgadis. However, that one had more to do with the Demon Beast Zanafar. It was more of a piece to the puzzle than the full solution. Maybe Zelgadis could figure out some more useful information from it.   
  
Lina then skimmed over the other tablets she had stolen. She paused over one dealing with potion making. While she didn't particularly like the work of creating potions because of the ease with which potions can become ruined, this one had something Lina really could use, mana restoration. With this potion she could recoup her ability to cast spells during battle. If it was strong enough she could cast Laguna Blade more than once.  
  
Lina jumped when her bedroom door slammed open with Zelgadis holding an open book.  
  
"LINA! I think I found it!" Zelgadis cried out.  
  
"No need to yell. Sheesh." Lina stiffly stood open. "Let me see it."  
  
Zelgadis handed over the book, and Lina immediately plopped on the floor to look it over. She ignored the presence of Zelgadis and Amelia looking over her shoulder.  
  
"Need the power of two, who must be either unintelligent or willing, and siphon their powers into the third vessel...." Lina muttered. "Combining magics of spirit, body and summoning."  
  
"Body?" Amelia chirped.  
  
"Elven magic to alter ones' form," Lina replied. "It's very difficult to master."  
  
"Do you know any?" Zelgadis questioned.  
  
"A little," Lina answered.  
  
Amelia blinked. "How would you know Elven magic?"  
  
Lina didn't reply as she continued to read. Finally, with a sigh, she closed the book and set it on the floor.  
  
"Well?" Zelgadis pressed.  
  
"I can't cure you," Lina told him flatly.  
  
Zelgadis crashed to the floor, both in shock and despair. "Why not?"  
  
Amelia pouted.  
  
"The book describes nicely how to make a chimera like you, however it doesn't explain how to unmake one," Lina explained. "I could probably remove the stone golem from you with a little more research, but the mazoku part will be tricky. We need the mazoku who gave you your power and get him to willingly remove it."  
  
Zelgadis could only stare in shock.  
  
"Why don't we try to find the mazoku who gave Zelgadis his powers?" Amelia suggested.  
  
"Zel, do you remember anyone else with Rezo when he changed you?" Lina asked.  
  
Zelgadis shook his head. "No."  
  
"So, it's probably Shabranigdo," Lina surmised.  
  
"What?!" Amelia cried out.  
  
Zelgadis punched his hand through the floor. "This is NOT fair! I finally have a cure and I can't use it!"  
  
"I wouldn't say that, Zel," Lina retorted. "With enough research on this process, it should be possible to undo your curse. It'll just take time."  
  
Amelia pouted. "But we don't have much time left."  
  
Lina shrugged. "Sorry, but that's all I can offer for now."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Zander growled in disgust as he tracked down one of his missing Claire Bible Manuscripts. However, it wasn't Lina and her friends that he found, but some old priest.  
  
"What happened to him?" the mazoku librarian questioned.  
  
"Some bandits tried to rob him, but fortunately a mage scared them off and brought him here," explained a dark-haired young priestess of Ciephied.  
  
"Who was this 'mage?'" Zander asked.  
  
The priestess shrugged. "I don't know. I can hardly remember what he looks like." She paused. "Which is strange. Normally I'm good with faces."  
  
Zander muttered a few words and waved his hand over her face. He frowned seeing the girl's memory wasn't blocked, but erased. He then tried to detect if any spell was on the old priest, and found a powerful sleep spell.  
  
Zander then turned back to the confused priestess. "What did this priest have on him?"  
  
"Just a strange book and a necklace. We'll be holding those until he wakes up," the priestess informed him.  
  
Zander's frown deepened. Where had Lina and the others gone? He couldn't sense them or his manuscripts anywhere. There were a few places in this area she could hide, plus she might be skilled enough to hide all the manuscripts' presence from him. She had been able to block his search for the Giga Slav after all.  
  
"I'll be back when he wakes," Zander told the priestess before walking out of the Ciephied temple. There was no way he was going to wait inside such a wretched place.  
  
-------------------*  
  
A strong foreboding gripped her. She had felt this a few times before. When it happened, a great amount of destruction followed. Most notably was when her home town was destroyed twice.  
  
Syphiel had no place to call home in Sairaag anymore. So she had no choice but use the inn. She arrived past midnight and was surprised the kitchen was still open. She was filled with mixed emotion when she heard the cook complain about a group of adventurers that had eaten nearly forty plates of food each save for their 'pet golem.' That meant Lina, Gourry and the others were in town, which was good because she did want to see them again. However, every time they went to Sairaag, the town seemed to get destroyed.  
  
Syphiel respectfully only had a light snack of two plates for herself before going to bed. There was no need to wear the cook down anymore. Though she'd probably have to have a big breakfast come morning. Being able to cast high level spells tended to come at the price of having to eat a LOT. Yet somehow Syphiel managed to polish the two plates in less than five minutes and look like she had eaten it daintily.  
  
Syphiel heard noises coming from the rooms down the hall. She blushed realizing what some of those noises were. A passing thought of Gourry went through her mind. She held her cheeks and shook her head. "I shouldn't think such things!"  
  
Then something caught Syphiel's attention. She could hear Lina's strained voice echoing from a room, apparently chanting to the mazoku lords. She wondered if Lina would break the law to cast a spell. Syphiel sighed, realizing Lina wouldn't have any qualms about breaking such a law.  
  
Syphiel approached Lina's room cautiously, hoping to figure out what Lina was really up to. If it was a spell, she'd have to stop it for Lina's sake. She reached for the door knob.  
  
"I wouldn't do that if I was you," someone warned.  
  
Syphiel nearly jumped out of her skin as she turned around quickly. "A MAZOKU?!" she screamed recognizing him from when Fibrizo was destroyed.  
  
Xellos pouted. "There's no need to advertise that."  
  
Syphiel swallowed. The mazoku may not be as powerful as Fibrizo, but he wasn't a threat to take lightly either. And the only spell she had to deal with him would cause her to blow up Sairaag herself.  
  
"What's going on?" Lina questioned.  
  
"Look, Lina! It's Syphiel!" Gourry said cheerfully.  
  
Syphiel turned to look at them only in time to see Lina violently jerk Gourry back into the room. From what the priestess could see, neither of them were wearing clothes. Further down the hall she could see Zelgadis and Amelia peeking out another door, and similarly appeared to be in a state of undress. At the end of the hall as guy and a girl she didn't know.  
  
"What's going on, Xellos?" Ravven questioned.  
  
"Just an old friend of Gourry's showing up. Nothing to worry about," Xellos replied.  
  
"Oh," Ravven retreated into his room with Natalia.  
  
"Hi, Ms. Syphiel," Amelia greeted, blushing deeply. "We'll talk in the morning."  
  
"Yeah, ah, hi, Syphiel," Zelgadis greeted before closing the door to his room.  
  
"Talk to you in the morning, Syphiel. And, Xellos, you better be here tomorrow as well. I need to talk to you," Lina added.  
  
"As you wish," Xellos replied.  
  
"Goodnight," Lina told them.  
  
"Goodnight," Gourry added from inside the room.  
  
"Have fun screwing like rabbits," Xellos chirped.  
  
Lina's door opened only long enough for an end table to fly out of it to smack Xellos in the face.  
  
Syphiel still hadn't budged since she saw Lina and Gourry. "W-what's going on?" Syphiel stuttered her question.  
  
Xellos smiled. "Well, it's a long romantic story. Normally I'd hate explain those, but telling you would make for a good snack."  
  
"I need something to drink," Syphiel muttered daintily. "Something strong."  
  
Xellos blinked. The girl looked like a saint, and even acted like one. Yet there was a delicious darkness to her as well. This might be a fun night.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Syphiel groaned as she woke up. She blearily looked up and saw a vaguely muscular body hovering over her. "Ung," she voiced.  
  
"Are you all right?" Gourry questioned.  
  
Syphiel shook her head.  
  
"Sleeping beauty is awake," Xellos clipped. "Here drink this hangover cure."  
  
The smell of alcohol assaulted her senses, but somehow cleared them as well as she took the drink.  
  
"Why did you get drunk?" Gourry questioned with concern.  
  
Syphiel remained silent.  
  
"Some things are best left a secret," Xellos smirked.  
  
Syphiel looked at Xellos in surprise, the mazoku knew why she got drunk and yet didn't use that knowledge to inflict pain.  
  
Gourry shrugged. "Just don't make a habit of getting drunk."  
  
"I won't," Syphiel replied.  
  
"Well, I'm off to see what Lina has to say. I'll leave Syphiel to you, Gourry." Xellos left the room.  
  
Syphiel sighed. She thankfully could remember all that happened last night. Otherwise, she might have been worried that she had lost her maidenhood to Xellos of all... beings. She had consoled a girl as a shrine maiden over a similar situation where the girl had drunkenly slept with someone after losing their love to someone else.  
  
"Did Xellos tell you?" Gourry questioned.  
  
"About your marriage to Lina? That Amelia is trying marry Zelgadis and find his cure?" Syphiel returned.  
  
Gourry nodded. "That and Ravven tagging along."  
  
Syphiel nodded. "He told me everything. Well, almost everything. He kept half explaining things and when I tried to get a clearer answer he'd reply, 'That's a secret.'"  
  
Gourry smirked. "That's Xellos for you. He loves keeping secrets."  
  
Syphiel wished Xellos had kept more secrets last night.   
  
-------------------*  
  
"Hello, everyone," Xellos greeted. "What did you want to talk about?"  
  
"How is Ms. Syphiel?" Amelia questioned.  
  
"She's fine. Just working off a hangover now," Xellos replied. He looked over at Lina. "Don't worry about her trying anything with Gourry. She has accepted the situation admirably. She didn't even try to seduce me last night."  
  
"I doubt she would do anything with a mazoku, no matter how desperate and drunk she gets," Lina shot back. "Anyway, what's the word about Zander?"  
  
"Wild-goose chase," Xellos answered. "I took the liberty of placing a manuscript, that had nothing to do with chimera, on Towermere and put him to sleep for a week conveniently with a sleep spell."  
  
"How did you get through his magic resistance?" Lina questioned.  
  
"Simple. I took off his necklace. That is the source of his resistance," Xellos replied.  
  
"The necklace?" Amelia questioned. She then groaned. "I should've remembered that! His cathedral has the Necklace of Vallas. It's supposed to be locked inside the Flare Cathedral for safe keeping."  
  
"So, the mage who created 'Vallas Wall' also created a protection amulet," Lina surmised.  
  
"Actually Dynast kind of made it," Amelia corrected. "Dynast trapped Vallas's soul inside the necklace. It has offered protection against magic to Flare Cathedral for centuries."  
  
"What if Zander takes the necklace?" Zelgadis questioned. "He'd be unstoppable."  
  
"I bet he can't use it," Lina interjected. "If a mazoku could use it, it would've never fallen into human hands and Xellos would've kept it."  
  
Xellos pouted. "I'm not a thief, Lina."  
  
"Whatever." Lina shrugged. "So, we've got a few days left before we can expect to see Zander and Towermere, huh?"  
  
Xellos nodded.  
  
"Best to prepare for them." Lina sighed. "Just one more thing, Xellos. I figured out how to make a chimera like Zelgadis, but the reverse is proving tricky. Do you know of a means to pull out mazoku energies?"  
  
Xellos grinned. "Just call upon a higher mazoku to pull it out of him. Oh, wait. Shabranigdo was used and Lord of Nightmares is a bit too... capricious." He shrugged. "You'll need to find something that drains mazoku's powers. Good luck finding something strong enough to do the job."  
  
"You knew that all along, didn't you?" Zelgadis growled angrily.  
  
"Now that is a secret." Xellos disappeared in a swirl of black clouds.  
  
Zelgadis let out a bestial scream of frustration.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Xellos's Notes:  
  
Archive REALLY apologizes for the delay on this part. However, he has moved, changed jobs, and a host of over real life events.  
  
I'd like to thank Michael Chase and Troy Thomas for their quick replies in pre-reading this.  
  
Oh, as for Reward being 'abandoned,' as one of Archive's reviewers commented, for this series not being updated in months, you should really check some of the lag time between some of Archive's other ficts. At least he's not as bad as some writers who go for years between chapters of their 'active' stories.  
  
(Xellos walks off into the distance on a long and winding road.) 


	13. Battle! The Fight for Knowledge!

The Slayers: Reward  
  
Chapter 13: Battle! The Fight for Knowledge!  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The Slayers belong to Hajime Kanazaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, SOFTX, Software Sculptures Ltd., and many others. I do not own them. I'm only borrowing them. I'll return them as quickly as I can since Lina and Gourry are eating away bank account.  
  
Lime Warning: The reason why this warning is here is very evident in this chapter. Sexual comments WILL be made in this part, but no sexual acts directly described.  
  
Reminder: This series is mostly anime based. I can use things that go against novel or manga cannon as long as it doesn't contradict the anime.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Shortly after sunrise, a black tornado signaled Xellos's appearance as it formed in the hallway of Sairaag's only standing inn. The mazoku blinked curiously. While the lack of noise was a good indication that Lina and crew were no longer there, his inhuman senses also failed to pick up the band of adventures. Xellos could only tell that they were somewhere in Sairaag, since if they were any distance away from this town he could pick up their presence. However, thanks to Fibrizo being ruined here, along with remnant energies of kopi-Rezo's spell that destroyed the city, the holy tree and the demon beast Zanaffar, it made tracking anyone in this area difficult even, for a mazoku of his level.  
  
Xellos shrugged. Lina and her friends were a group of rather unique individuals. They'd stick up like a sore thumb anywhere they go. He walked down the stairs and greeted the burly-looking owner of the establishment. "Excuse me, but I believe you had a band of adventures staying here last night. I was wondering if you knew where they went?"  
  
"They went to the alchemist's shop on the north side of Lake Flagoon," replied the owner.  
  
"Oh, really?" Xellos nodded. "Lina must be trying to make some of that mana restoration potion." He then turned to leave.  
  
The owner grabbed Xellos by the shoulder. "Now you kindly tell me where YOU slept last night. You went up to those rooms last night, but didn't come down until just now."  
  
Xellos sweat-dropped, torn between scaring the man shitless or keeping what he was a secret. If he pretended to be a mage casting a spell, the locals would try to go after him-- which would lead them to Lina. If things went as planned, Lina would fight Zander today and the locals would be an unwelcomed interference.   
  
Xellos then smiled sheepishly. "I'm sorry, but I stayed with that shrine 'maiden' last night. Please keep quite about it. She's in line to become a high priestess, and such an affair could be damaging to her." He then quickly left while the inn-keeper processed Xellos's little story.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Zander strolled into the small Ceiphied's temple that currently housed Towermere.   
  
"I'm sorry, sir, but the old man has yet to awaken," a young priestess said with a frown. "We fear he'll never wake."  
  
"He should be awake in a few minutes," Zander replied tersely, walking past the priestess.  
  
The priestess blinked in surprise as she followed him to Towermere's bed.  
  
The first thing High Priest Towermere saw when he woke up was an elderly man who looked to be a sorcerer and a cute-looking priestess of Ciephied. He groggily sat up. "What happened?"  
  
"We were hoping you could tell us," replied Zander. "Did Lina Inverse, or should I say Lina Gabriev, do this to you?"  
  
Towermere scowled darkly. "That blasphemer is in league with a mazoku! That foul creature she summoned was without mercy."  
  
Zander blinked. "Lina summoned a demon? Do you know his name?"  
  
"Xellos, I believe." Towermere shakily got to his feet. "I must stop that foul dark sorceress."  
  
"Grande Restorium," Zander said, casting a healing spell on the priest which briefly caused them to glow in golden light.   
  
Towermere was caught off-guard with that spell. "You know holy magic?!"  
  
"Among other spheres. That Xellos was the one to cast the sleep spell on you would explain why I could not counter it." Zander frowned. "I suggest we work together. That witch stole some of my spell books, some of which she could use to cause untold damage-- including resurrecting the demon beast Zanaffar."  
  
Towermere shivered in horror. "I would gladly accept help from a holy mage. We must go now, before her trail gets cold."  
  
"Do you know where she might be?" Zander asked.  
  
"Xellos said he would meet them in Sairaag," Towermere replied.  
  
"I see. Our magic will have difficulties tracking her there," Zander said. "We should go once you get your stuff that this priestess has been guarding for you."  
  
The priestess smiled sheepishly. "I was able to protect most of it, but somehow your book disappeared."  
  
"Book?" Towermere questioned.  
  
"Don't worry. It was one of my books, I merely reclaimed it. I suspect Xellos planted it on you to lure me away from Sairaag," Zander explained.  
  
-------------------*  
  
"What's with them?" a shriveled old man asked, pointing at Ravven and Gourry who were doing stretching exercises.  
  
Zelgadis ignored him as he sat in the Zen position meditating.  
  
"We expect to be in a fight against a man named Zander," Amelia answered.  
  
"You don't mean the mazoku librarian, do you?" the old man questioned uncertainly.  
  
Lina blinked as she looked up from the potion she was making. "How do you know about that?"  
  
"I specialized in mazoku lore at the mage's guild. Unfortunately, that lore doesn't help much to put food on the table, so I set up an alchemy shop instead," the old man replied. "You don't really think you can take a mazoku of his level? It'd be like fighting Beastmaster Xellos the Dragon Slayer with his full powers unsealed."  
  
"I hate that title," came from behind the old man.  
  
"Full powers unsealed?" Lina questioned. "Care to explain that one?"  
  
The old man was staring at the man behind him in absolute terror.  
  
"Lina... take a guess," Xellos clipped and then looked at the old man. "And you best forget about what you know."  
  
"S-s-sure...." the old man trembled. "Excuse me. I've got somewhere to be. BYE!" The old man ran away as fast as his legs could carry him.  
  
"You're not planning to kill him, are you?" Lina asked with a warning glare.  
  
Xellos merely smiled. "Not at this time. If we become enemies for some reason, then I'll kill him. But for now you have no reason to know anything more about me, and killing him would be a pointless waste of energy."  
  
Syphiel frowned. "You're a strange mazoku, Mr. Xellos."  
  
-------------------*  
  
The inn-keeper looked up expectantly as a priest and mage entered his inn. As much as his cook hated this type of people, they did wonders to bring income through their bottomless stomachs.  
  
"Have you seen a short, fiery-haired woman with short temper, raging sex drive, and dressed as a sorceress?" Towermere questioned.  
  
The inn-keeper looked at the two men questioningly. "Why do you want to know?"  
  
"She has stolen spell books from me," Zander informed.  
  
"And she has blasphemed against Ciephied!" Towermere added.  
  
The inn-keeper looked skeptical.  
  
Zander tossed the inn-keeper a gold coin.  
  
"Lina Inverse-Gabriev and her six friends stayed here until last night. She's went to the alchemist shop on the other side of the lake first thing this morning."  
  
"Six?" Towermere questioned. "But she was only with four others."  
  
"Five with Xellos," Zander corrected. "Who was the sixth?"  
  
The inn-keeper looked puzzled. "I guess Xellos would be the guy who showed up after the Lina arrived with her husband, Gourry, along with Zelgadis and his lover, plus Ravven tagging along."  
  
Towermere stared. "Zelgadis and his lover? You don't meant a girl with black hair--"  
  
"And some really blessed melons," the inn-keeper confirmed.  
  
"You must be mistaken. Princess Amelia wil Tesla Sailoon would NOT sleep with a monster!" Towermere protested.  
  
"You mean she really is Princess Amelia? I thought she always used that as an alias." The inn-keeper shrugged. "Anyway, it's hard to mistake a girl commenting about a painful first time. Apparently Zelgadis was a bit TOO hard."  
  
Towermere looked faint.  
  
"What about the other person?" Zander reminded.  
  
"That would be little Syphiel. Though I guess I can't call her little anymore. The poor dear had a crush on Lina's husband, and slept with that Xellos fellow on the rebound." The inn-keeper shook his head.   
  
Towermere gawked. "You don't mean Syphiel the Lavender of Sairaag?"  
  
"That's her." The inn-keeper paled, forgetting that the guy was a priest. "I shouldn't have said that. Don't hold her having sex against her, she was distraught and drunk! It was just a one-night stand!"  
  
Towermere fainted.  
  
Zander paid a passing glance at the fallen priest and then looked back at the inn-keeper. "You seemed well informed."  
  
"I am an inn-keeper, so I tend to hear stories from all around. I was lucky enough to be out getting supplies when Sairaag blew up both times. I already met Lina and her friends before, so their false names were pointless."  
  
Zander nodded. "Indeed."   
  
-------------------*  
  
"Let me get this straight, Towermere and Zander are coming here together?" Lina questioned, while she placed stoppers on a couple flasks containing her new mana potion.  
  
"Precisely," Xellos replied. "I suspect Zander has 'failed' to tell Towermere that he's a mazoku, and that they'll work together to try to defeat you."  
  
Lina shook her head. "Wonderful. Towermere is an annoyance, but he still can be dangerous if I let my guard down."  
  
"High Priest Towermere is too pious for his own good," Syphiel said with a dainty sigh. She had met him a few times during her work as a shrine maiden, and knew he took his role as a high priest far too seriously.  
  
"Where should we go?" Amelia questioned.  
  
"Staying right here to fight him would be best. Zander's mazoku senses are dampened here," Xellos suggested. "If you run now, you won't know when or where he'll strike."  
  
"Doesn't matter. They're here," Gourry warned.  
  
"Kami-sama no Ken!" Zander's voice echoed and a blinding golden light shot from his palm.  
  
Xellos only had enough time to turn around. He cursed his own dampened senses as the beam of light struck him in the chest and formed into a golden sword. He let out a gut retching scream as he fell to his knees.  
  
Syphiel rushed to aid the fallen mazoku, but had no idea of how to heal him... or even decide if she should heal him.  
  
"That was a cheap shot," Lina commented, glaring at Zander.  
  
"For a mazoku of his caliber, a cheap shot is what you need to win," Zander retorted.  
  
"Lina Inverse! Return this mage's spell books and end your blasphemous marriage!" Towermere ordered, trying to ignore what Syphiel was doing.  
  
"And why should I return Claire Bible Manuscripts to a mazoku who stole them in the first place!" Lina retorted.  
  
"Mazoku?" Towermere laughed. "What a blatant lie. No mazoku can cast magic, let alone HOLY magic."  
  
"Xellos can cast spells, and so can the mazoku librarian," Lina corrected.  
  
"Bah! You won't listen to reason. I'm afraid I must destroy you. Elmekia Flame!" Towermere fired off his attack.  
  
Lina dodged the spell as Ravven and Gourry moved to strike at Zander, but the librarian was ready for them. "Glorium Defendous!"  
  
Two golden knights appeared and instantly moved to protect their summoner.  
  
Lina, Amelia and Zelgadis laid down a barrage of fiery attacks, but none of them did any damage.  
  
"Gourry, Ravven, take out Towermere. Leave Zander to us!" Lina ordered.  
  
Gourry bisected the golden knight in front of him. "Sure thing, dear!"   
  
"Fireball!" Zander said calmly, blowing Gourry across the field.  
  
"Gourry!" Syphiel cried out. Her hands twitched.  
  
Ravven grunted as he knocked the helmet off his attacker, and saw that his opponent was an empty suit of armor. Unfortunately, the knight didn't care for the loss of his head.  
  
"Ra Tilt!" Zelgadis and Amelia stereoed.  
  
Zander almost noticed too late. He didn't have time to cast a spell, rather he grabbed hold of Towermere's arm.  
  
The blazing bluish light erupted around Zander, but it subsided leaving no obvious trace of injury.  
  
"You cheating son a bitch," Lina cursed.  
  
"That would be Xellos, not me," Zander 'corrected.' "Now prepare to die." He began to speak with holy chaos words, but ended with an, "Urk?!"  
  
"No one hurts Lina while I'm around!" Gourry snarled, before ripping the sword he implanted in Zander out of the mazoku's body.  
  
Darkness seemed to ooze from the gash Gourry had made. "You insolent fool! Chaotic Disintegrate!" Zander spat literally, as golden energy fired from his mouth.  
  
Gourry screamed in pain as he once again bounced and flopped across the field.  
  
"Gourry!" Syphiel cried out again. She then glanced at Lina who didn't seem bothered that Gourry had been hurt again.  
  
Lina noticed. "What? That always happens in battle. He's still not hurt."  
  
Gourry hopped back up to his feet.  
  
"Go after Towermere!" Lina reminded.  
  
Towermere didn't notice Gourry's advance, he was staring at Zander's healing wound. "You're a mazoku?!"  
  
Zander blasted Gourry away again. "Yes. But we have a common goal, do we not? Lina has offended BOTH of our lords," Zander reminded.   
  
"But you hurt another mazoku. How can you do that?" Towermere questioned.  
  
Zander didn't reply, rather he grabbed Towermere's arm to shield himself from another magical barrage.  
  
"We've got to get Zander away from Towermere," Lina stated the obvious. "But how?" She was thankful the old priest seemed to be frozen in indecision.  
  
"I'm going in," Zelgadis stated, drawing his sword.  
  
"Be careful," Amelia called out with concern.  
  
Ravven finally defeated his golden foe and moved to strike Towermere in the back.  
  
Zander smirked as he summoned five earth golems, complete with controlled spirits to give them intelligence.  
  
"He fought my sister, didn't he?" Amelia questioned.  
  
Lina smiled sheepishly. "We were both after the Giga Slav manuscript." She tried to think of what to do. She wanted to cast a big spell and be done with this battle, but Dragon Slav would hurt her friends more and Laguna Blade cost too much to cast and had too great a chance of failure. The situation hadn't degraded to the point where she needed to use Giga Slav.  
  
Gourry and Zelgadis made short work of the golems they were facing. So Zander summoned a pair of Earth dragons for them to play with. When Gabriev only scratched one with the Demon Claw sword, he somehow remembered his other sword was called Dragon Cleaver, and quickly switched them and resumed his attack.  
  
Ravven, however, was still playing dodge as the one golem after him tried to turn him into paste. He seemed to freeze for a moment as the rocky punch screamed toward, but he leapt out of the way at the last second.  
  
Zander lurched forward as the golem had struck him in the back of the head. Amelia and Lina wasted no time firing spirit attacks at the mazoku. The mazoku cast a quick spell and with a flash of golden light, it was Ravven standing where the Zander had been. Ravven screamed as the spirit energies ripped at his being.  
  
Zander grabbed Ravven. "You're pathetic for a half-breed mazoku. Not surprising considering how pathetic Gaav was. Digu Volt!"  
  
Ravven screamed as electricity surged through his body.  
  
"Should I care if Ravven's in the line of fire?" Lina questioned. "Nah. Elmekia Lance!"  
  
The spirit blast hit its mark, and forced Zander to let go of Ravven.  
  
"No one insults my father," Ravven snarled, trying to strike Zander, only to be kicked away by the golem he had been fighting.  
  
"Gaav was his father?" Lina wondered, but shrugged as it didn't really matter.  
  
Gourry sliced through the golem that was attacking Ravven before it could strike again, having already dealt with his own opponent.   
  
Zander noticed that Zelgadis had also dispatched the other Earth dragon. With a quick spell, he sent three bolts of energy at the swordsmen. Ravven collapsed and moaned in pain. Gourry went flying only to immediately get back up. Zelgadis only grunted as he continued to advance.  
  
"Laphas Seed," Zander called out, trying to ensnare the chimera.  
  
Zelgadis merely leapt out of the way only to find that the mazoku had anticipated that reaction with a second Laphas Seed which succeeding in wrapping around his legs.   
  
Zander then cast a blinding flash of light which blinded Gourry as he approached. "Sometimes the simplest spells are the most effective ones."  
  
"Ra Tilt!" Amelia cried out.  
  
Zander let out a grunt of pain as the attack hit him unprepared. He moved back toward Towermere, deciding just how to end this game.  
  
Amelia stared. A direct hit with Ra Tilt and he only grunted in pain?! Why is it that she couldn't end up fighting weak mazoku like Mr. Chicken?  
  
Zander spread his arms out wide. "You, who are more blue than the sunny sky! You, who are more chaotic than the weather! I call out to you! I pledge myself to you!"  
  
Lina stared. 'Blue?' 'Chaotic?' Being cast like Dragon Slav?! "That's the spell for Chaotic Blue?!" she surmised, unable to move as she watched every detail of his movements, listened intently on every word he said.  
  
"Grant me the power to destroy the fools who stand before you with the power you and I possess! Demon's Wrath!"  
  
Lina paled as Zander pointed right at her. It didn't take a genius to figure out where the spell's epicenter would be. The hair on her neck tingled as she stared dumbly toward the sky as energy streaked toward her from the heavens.  
  
"LINA?!" Gourry screamed, regaining his sense of sight in time to see his wife in danger. He poured every once of energy he had to his legs as he rushed toward her. He pushed her with all his might the instant before the giant blast struck the Earth with all the explosive force of Dragon Slav but in only half the radius.  
  
Lina felt the searing energy heat her back as she landed outside the area of effect, followed by an ear-shattering thunderclap as the god of all lightning bolts subsided right next to her. The raging noise in her now useless ears meant nothing to her as she whirled around seeing Gourry burnt, bruised, battered and unmoving as he lay at the center of the blast. "G-Gourry?!" she screamed.  
  
Zander laughed mockingly. "One down."  
  
"You bastard!" Zelgadis snarled, charging at the mazoku after freeing himself from the entrapment spell.  
  
"Sir Gourry?!" Syphiel cried out, abandoning Xellos in favor of aiding her first love. She rolled him over and shuddered at the amount of abuse his body displayed. She let out a small sigh of relief as he wheezed out a breath. "RESURRECTION!" she called, pouring her healing magic into him.  
  
"Lina, are you all right?" Amelia called out as she rushed to aid her friend. At first the princess thought Lina was in shock from Gourry being hurt, but then noticed blood leaking from the sorceress's ears. That lightning bolt Zander summoned must have popped both of Lina's eardrums. "Shit," Amelia cursed before applying a specialized healing spell to repair Mrs. Gabriev's ears. A spell that Towermere had taught the princess years ago.  
  
Despite helping Lina, Amelia felt helpless, and not for the first time in battles such as these. A powerful mazoku, and all she could do is act as support. Her ultimate killer spell was next to useless against Zander, as it only did minor amount of damage. Gourry probably did more damage with the sword he had borrowed from Ravven.   
  
"If we can get Towermere out of the way, I might be able to take Zander with a Dragon Slav," Syphiel said while maintaining most of her attention on healing her first love.  
  
Amelia shook her head. "You'd have to catch him by surprise. He blocked a boosted one from Lina."  
  
Syphiel pouted. "We've got to do something."  
  
Amelia said nothing as she looked over at the battle. Zander would blast away or immobilize either Zelgadis or Ravven, and the other would return to attack. It amazed the princess how much abuse Ravven was taking, but being half-mazoku could help with that. She certainly would be out of it if she had taken half of those hits. Zelgadis was taking more abuse than Ravven was, but his chimeric body weathered the attacks far better as well. If she had their staying power, she wouldn't have to act as support anymore.  
  
"Will you two give it up?" Zander questioned, no trace of injury on his body, though he seemed to be a little winded.  
  
"Never," Zelgadis growled, breathing heavily. "I won't let you get away with hurting my friends."  
  
Ravven coughed, barely standing. "You're good practice. If I can help take you out, then I have a chance to kill Sarah."  
  
Zander laughed. "Why? Because she was ordered to wake up Gaav's soul in that foul human body it had been reincarnated in?"  
  
"Yes," Ravven spat. "She killed my mother and took away my father. I'll never forgive her for that."  
  
"Half-mazoku or not, you're still a weak fool," Zander retorted. "You have no chance of defeating Sarah."  
  
Zelgadis was staring at the half-mazoku.   
  
"What?" Ravven questioned.  
  
"That's Gaav's sword, isn't it?" Zelgadis questioned, only now recognizing the strange cut on the two handed sword as where Lina had cut through it with Laguna Blade.  
  
"Yeah, it's Dad's sword. What about it?" Ravven snarled.  
  
"While Syphiel and Lina are dumping a lovely amount of dark emotions," Xellos called out. "You all do realize that you're all just regenerating from feeding off those emotions."  
  
Zander sweat-dropped. "They're both part mazoku?"  
  
"Bingo," Zelgadis retorted. "Ra Tilt!"  
  
"Too slow," Ravven commented as Zander had jumped back and grabbed Towermere to avoid the damage of that attack.  
  
Zelgadis growled angrily. "Coward."  
  
"You do what works," Zander retorted as he fired off another holy spell.  
  
Towermere could only stand by and watch as Zander, Zelgadis and Ravven continued their attacks. He had never heard of a mazoku working against others of his kind. However, not only had Zander severely wounded Xellos, a highly powerful mazoku, but was in a fight with two who admitted to be lesser mazoku. Had Zander's exposure to holy magic allowed him to break free of the evil ways of his race? Could Zander, despite being a mazoku, be one of the good guys? He had pledged himself to destroy all mazoku he found, but Zander had offered help in the name of Ciephied.  
  
Zelgadis wobbled as he stood up after being struck in the head by a Chaotic Disrupter.  
  
"You all right?" Ravven questioned.  
  
"For now. Don't know how much more I can take," Zelgadis replied.  
  
"How about I help?"  
  
Zelgadis and Ravven turned to see Gourry walking towards them.  
  
"Syphiel fixed me up good as new," Gourry said with a smirk.  
  
"Appreciate the help, but what about the girls?" Ravven questioned.  
  
"Amelia has a plan, but we need to keep him busy," Gourry answered.  
  
"She better not be planning anything foolish," Zelgadis muttered.  
  
With that the three swordsmen once again rushed in to attack, but the old pattern remained the same. The only difference was that with Gourry being at full health, he had to be knocked down twice as often as the other two fighters.  
  
Zander might have been a powerful mazoku, but even he had his limits. The last time he had cast so many spells in a short period of time was during the War of Monsters Fall, and that time he didn't have nearly as many high level spells in his arsenal, let alone holy ones. So when he spotted Amelia in a mad rush straight toward Towermere, he merely sent several fireballs at her.  
  
"Amelia?!" Zelgadis cried out, knowing she couldn't take the intensity of the fireballs Zander had aimed at her.  
  
Zander and Zelgadis both stared as she emerged from the fireballs with only her clothes singed.   
  
Amelia tackled Towermere and pulled the amulet from his neck.  
  
Only then did Towermere react as he cried out in shock. "Amelia, what have you done to yourself?!"  
  
Zelgadis's mouth dropped as Amelia stood up proudly display the amulet. He cursed his existence as the bright and perky face he had grown to love was now a dull gray. Her shining raven black hair still shined, but that was because it had become black metallic wire.  
  
"Amelia, you idiot!" were the only words the escaped Zelgadis's lips.  
  
Amelia didn't have time to react to those words as Zander sent a Chaotic Disrupter at her. The princess learned a little late that the amulet wouldn't work for her now. She rolled across the grounds and moaned slightly as she stood up, laughing despite it all. "That wasn't too bad."  
  
"You have gained nothing," Zander growled. "You still can't hope to defeat me."  
  
"Then I guess you'll take this from us as well." Amelia held up the Lina's Dragon Slayer manuscript.  
  
Zander's eyes grew wide in shock. "Where did you get that?!"  
  
"Now that's... a secret!" Amelia chirped before running as fast as she could.  
  
Zander created a sinkhole under the swordsmen to delay them while he began to chase after Amelia. With that book he could have the power to summon Shabranigdo. The precarious position the mazoku race was in would vanish, and his dark god might even give him Gaav's or even Fibrizo's position in the mazoku hierarchy.  
  
Amelia wished she hadn't made the quick glance behind herself to see if Zander was following her. He was flying right behind her and was gaining fast. That wasn't the worst of it. The mazoku's hand glowed with the energy of a spell. While Zander avoided letting Zelgadis getting close enough to use a touch spell, it appeared the mazoku had no such reservation about her. She doubted her new chimeric body could deal with whatever that spell was.  
  
Zander stretched out his hand, a spell to obliterate any type of rock waiting to come in contact with the stone flesh on the princess. The girl might have been able to run fast, but she couldn't out run him. Just another second and the girl would die and the manuscript would be his.  
  
Amelia clenched her eyes shut as she poured everything into her legs, trying to out run the mazoku. She could feel his presence mere centimeters from her exposed back.  
  
"Laguna Blade!"   
  
Hearing those words, Amelia dropped to the ground. She felt as if electricity was tickling her back.  
  
Zander had a surprised look on his face as Amelia fell to the ground and black energy cut through the air over his intended victim like a sword and sliced him in half. Not a word escaped the mazoku's mouth as his body ripped apart and disappeared.  
  
"That takes care of him," Xellos chirped.  
  
"Any reason you had us kill him?" Lina asked.  
  
Xellos smirked. "Now Lina, that-"  
  
"...is a secret," Lina finished his statement with a glare.  
  
Xellos pouted.   
  
Zelgadis approached the still cowering Amelia and barked, "You can get up now. Zander's dead."  
  
Amelia reluctantly sat up and looked at Zelgadis. "My plan worked."  
  
"Why? Why did you do something so stupid?!" Zelgadis demanded.  
  
Amelia curled up into a ball, unable to reply.  
  
"Relax, Zel. I should be able to return her to normal with a little more research," Lina assured him.   
  
"And assuming Amelia WANTS to be turned back into a human," Xellos added.  
  
Zelgadis gave them a deadly glare. "And why did you two agree to do THAT?"  
  
"You guys wouldn't have been able to last much longer. We needed a plan, and it was a good one," Lina explained.  
  
"What can I say? I'm a sucker for troubled romances," Xellos quipped.  
  
Zelgadis let out a frustrated cry and stomped off toward the lake.  
  
"Where are you going?" Ravven asked as Syphiel was healing him.  
  
"I need to be alone to think," Zelgadis growled before jumping into lake Flagoon.  
  
Ravven and Syphiel blinked.  
  
Lina shook her head. "All right guys. Let's head back to the inn so we can recover."  
  
"Not so fast!" Towermere cried out. "Lina Inverse, you must pay for your crimes against Ciephied."  
  
"High Priest Towermere, I believe you are mistaken. It can't be Ceiphied's will that Sir Gourry marry Princess Alicia," Syphiel voiced.  
  
"Shut up!" Towermere barked. "This isn't just about her marriage. It's about her consorting with demon, letting Xellos have his way with you, and turning Princess Amelia into a monster!"  
  
"You shut up!" Syphiel yelled back. "Lina and Sir Gourry love each other! If their marriage is wrong, then ALL marriages are wrong. And Xellos may be a mazoku, but he has helped save the world. It was because of the aid he gave Lina that she was able to destroy Fibrizo. And what I do in my bed chambers is my own business!"  
  
The Slayers all looked at Syphiel like she had grown a second head.  
  
"Is something wrong, Syphiel?" Gourry asked.  
  
"I thought you said you didn't do anything with her?" Lina questioned Xellos.  
  
The mazoku shrugged. "We didn't. I only lied to the inn-keeper about it."  
  
"Losing Gourry must be really hard on her," Amelia commented quietly.  
  
"What was that?" Gourry asked.  
  
Amelia grinned sheepishly. "Nothing!"  
  
"You don't even realize that dark sorceress has turned you against Ciephied and into a wanton slut," Towermere retorted.  
  
Syphiel punched him in the nose. She watched as he fell to the ground, unconscious. She then blinked. "Oh, dear. I don't know what came over me."  
  
"Repressed dark emotions," Ravven answered.  
  
"Seriously dark," Amelia added, unsure how to deal with the rush of emotions coming from the shrine maiden.  
  
"Deliciously dark." Xellos grinned.  
  
Lina sighed. "Let's just go back now. And Syphiel, I don't want you anywhere near the alcohol."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Xellos's Notes:  
  
After yet another 'long' wait, here's chapter 13 and the end of Zander.  
  
Bet you didn't expect Amelia to turn into a chimera to win it, did you?  
  
Well, you're also not going to believe the rest of the series either.  
  
Anyway, I guess I should thank those who gave grammar advice, even if Archive didn't use all of it. (Jeremy Mullin, Michael Chase, Ragun, Garrison)  
  
Next:  
Chapter 14 - Journey! Life Continues On. 


	14. Journey! And Life Continues On!

The Slayers: Reward  
  
Chapter 14: Journey! And Life Continues On!  
  
By: Lord Archive  
  
The Slayers belong to Hajime Kanazaka, Rui Araizumi, TV Tokyo, SOFTX, Software Sculptures Ltd., and many others. I do not own them. I'm only borrowing them. I'll return them as quickly as I can since Lina and Gourry are eating away my bank account.  
  
Reminder: This series is mostly anime based. I can use things that go against novel or manga cannon as long as it doesn't contradict the anime.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Amelia sighed as she stared out the window of Sairaag's inn, her mind going back to when her life had changed....  
  
The battle against Zander raged on, as Ravven and Zelgadis tried to take down the mazoku. Syphiel was desperately trying to heal Gourry who took the full blast of Chaotic Blue's version of Dragon Slav, while Amelia was restoring Lina's ear drums.  
  
"Is Lina all right?" Gourry asked as he woke up.  
  
Lina rubbed her ears. "I'm fine, thanks to you. We need to end this battle soon."  
  
"We'll take care of him," Gourry vowed.  
  
"How? You can't get near enough to hurt him, and he's using Towermere as a shield," Lina shot back.  
  
Amelia sat back and pouted. "I... I have an idea. Gourry, go help the guys while I explain it to them."  
  
Gourry nodded and hopped to his feet and rushed to rejoin the battle.  
  
"So, what's your idea?" Lina asked.  
  
"I'll rush in and take the amulet from Towermere," Amelia replied.  
  
"You'd never get near him," Syphiel replied sadly.  
  
"I could if I'm a chimera," Amelia returned.  
  
"What?!" Lina yelled. "How do you suppose THAT would happen?"  
  
"You can turn me into one," Amelia answered.  
  
"It's not a simple spell. It could take days to do it," Lina retorted.  
  
"Now, Lina, you know perfectly well how to do it in a much shorter amount of time," Xellos interjected, smirking.  
  
"Oh, really? Where do you suggest I get everything I'd need?" Lina demanded.  
  
Xellos tapped his chin and said mockingly, "Oh, dear. You'd need a stone golem." He pointed at the scattered remains of the ones destroyed in the battle. "We could reanimate one of those. But then we need a willing mazoku. Hmmm.... That's tough one. Guess I could volunteer."  
  
"What about the amount of magic I'd need to force the transformation?" Lina shot back. "I'd need a whole library of Claire... Bible... manuscripts."  
  
Xellos nodded with a devilish grin. "Looks like you do have everything you need."  
  
"Please, Mrs. Lina, turn me into a chimera," Amelia pleaded.  
  
"But what about your throne?" Lina questioned.  
  
"I don't want it if I can't have Zelgadis," Amelia retorted. "This is what I want. To be with him and to help him."  
  
Lina looked toward the battle and saw Gourry fly painfully into a rock. She closed her eyes. "Fine. This may help me figure out how to cure Zelgadis. But we've got to hurry."  
  
Amelia nodded feverishly. "Tell me what I need to do."  
  
Lina removed her magical cloak and dumped out an impossible number of manuscript tablets and books that she had carried in it. "First help me arrange these into three pentagrams, one of them around Xellos. Then just stand in the middle one while I put one of the golems back together."  
  
"What can I do?" Syphiel asked, already moving to create one of the pentagrams.   
  
Lina shrugged.  
  
"I suggest casting Silence on Amelia before the spell starts. Don't want to alert Zander of what we're doing with her screams when her body changes," Xellos explained.  
  
"My... screams?" Amelia chirped nervously. And scream she did when the spell was cast. She had never felt anything as painful as that moment. At least physically.  
  
Amelia sighed and then shook her head free of her memories. She then looked out the inn's window waiting for Zelgadis to return. She debated jumping into the lake to find her lover, but half of old Sairaag was down there. If Zelgadis had chosen to hide in it, it'd take forever to find him. She frowned at the memory of how Zelgadis learned he didn't need to breath. He would have drowned to death just because they wanted dragon cuisine.  
  
"He'll be back soon, Amelia," Lina assured her.  
  
"I hope so," Amelia replied quietly.  
  
"He'd be a fool to let you go after what you did for him. Zelgadis is anything but a fool," Lina gave a forced cheer.  
  
"I know," Amelia said sadly.  
  
"Cheer up! We just beat a major mazoku all because of you. You should be celebrating!" Lina held a dish of food out for the princess.  
  
Amelia brushed the offered dish away. "Sorry, but I'm not hungry. Syphiel is feeding me."  
  
Lina blinked and looked over at the girl in question. The shrine maiden didn't look upset as she talked to some of the townsfolk, but then she caught the sad look Syphiel gave as she glanced at Gourry.  
  
"She's still depressed?" Lina asked.  
  
"I think so," Amelia replied. "All I know is she has dark emotions. I guess there are, well, flavors to them, but I don't know how to discern what flavor is which emotion."  
  
"Now he knows how to celebrate!" the innkeeper called out loudly as Ravven escorted two girls to his room.  
  
"Well, you should be able to figure out lust from him," Lina joked darkly.  
  
Amelia shook her head. "Too much mazoku in him. I can barely sense he's there."  
  
Lina scowled as she spotted someone approaching the inn. "Look who woke up," she muttered.  
  
The door swung open. "Lina Inverse! This has gone on too long!"  
  
"High priest Towermere," called out a cloaked man who sat at the bar. "I have a message for you."  
  
Towermere waved him off. "It can wait."  
  
"Princess Alicia stressed that this message is very urgent for you to read." The man held forth a bound and sealed scroll.  
  
"Fine," Towermere snapped. He grabbed the scroll and ripped it open. He stared with wide eyes as he read it. The priest's arms dropped and the scroll fell to the ground.  
  
"Your answer, Towermere?" the messenger asked.  
  
"I will depart immediately," Towermere replied emotionlessly. "It appears I may have been wrong about the prophecy."  
  
The messenger escorted the priest out of the inn.  
  
Lina picked up the scroll and laughed at the message she saw written on it.  
  
"What does it say, Mrs. Lina?" Amelia asked.  
  
"Looks like you're going to have a new cousin soon. Princess Alicia is pregnant. Oh, I bet 'Ears' is the father." Lina continued to laugh.  
  
"That's wonderful!" Gourry cheered.   
  
Amelia smiled. With a husband and heir, her cousin Alicia would be sure to gain the throne. She certainly wouldn't be getting it now.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Amelia may not have been able to get a clear sense of what the taste of lust was like from Ravven, but she was certainly getting it from the Gabrievs and the girls with Ravven now. That emotion was doing far more than feeding her.  
  
The stone princess tossed and turned in her bed. She wanted escape from her troubled thoughts. To not feel other's dark emotions. Actually, she'd rather experience lust with her lover again, but he still hadn't come back.  
  
Being a chimera was rather disorientating. She was thankful she was in Sairaag right now and could only feel people a short distance away. If she were in Sailoon, she might've gone mad with the emotions of thousands of people pouring into her new senses.  
  
She slowly became aware of something strange with her new senses. There was, well, a void approaching her. It felt as if someone was there, but nothing was coming from it. In fact, as it approached the emotions from others she was sensing from diminished, like it was absorbing them.   
  
"Who is it?!" Amelia called out as the void stopped at her door.  
  
"It's me, Amelia. Can I come in?" Zelgadis questioned.  
  
Amelia leapt out of bed and ripped the door open. She promptly gave the elder chimera a boulder crushing hug. "You came back!"  
  
"Ack! Not so tight!" Zelgadis complained.  
  
Amelia back off sheepishly. "Sorry."  
  
"Now, Amelia, we need to talk," Zelgadis tried to say sternly, but came off softer than he wanted.  
  
Amelia nodded shyly and let him into the room they had shared the night before.  
  
"Why did you do it, Amelia?" Zelgadis questioned.  
  
Amelia didn't have to ask what he meant. "Because... because, well, I love you."  
  
Zelgadis scowled. "You know this is the last thing I ever wanted."  
  
Amelia nodded. "I know that. But I needed to do this for you. There is so much about you that I never knew about. I had to understand why you detested your body so much." She then sighed. "And I didn't want to hear you trying to tell me to go marry some noble before my birthday just so I could become queen of Sailoon. I'd rather spend my life with you and live on the road, then have a marriage that's a lie and remain royalty."  
  
"Amelia, do you have any idea what you've sacrificed?" Zelgadis questioned harshly.  
  
"I'm starting to, but for you I'd do it again," Amelia said tearfully.  
  
"What are you going to tell your father?" Zelgadis questioned.  
  
"I don't know, but we'll have to tell him soon," Amelia admitted.  
  
Zelgadis shut his eyes. While he was upset at Amelia for turning herself into a chimera, he could not deny why she had done it. She did it out of love, an emotion he had once feared would be unknown to him as he was part mazoku, but he did know how love felt.   
  
Amelia watched Zelgadis nervously and was surprised when he grabbed her in a hug.   
  
"Amelia," he breathed. "Once you're my wife, you had better tell me your harebrained schemes before doing them. I don't want you to do anything as stupid as you did today."  
  
Amelia's eyes widened. "You still want to marry me?"  
  
"After what you did, I don't see how I can't," Zelgadis replied.  
  
Amelia rewarded him with a long kiss. "We can have Syphiel perform the ceremony tomorrow." She then looked at him coyly. "We can start the honeymoon tonight."  
  
"I though we already had," Zelgadis returned before finding himself literally tossed onto the bed.  
  
Amelia grinned. "Tonight I'm on top!"  
  
-------------------*  
  
"Always the Shrine Maiden, never the bride," Syphiel complained daintily.  
  
"What was that?" Lina asked.  
  
"Oh, nothing," Syphiel replied with a blush.  
  
The innkeeper had been kind enough to let them hold the wedding inside his establishment. The entire town came out to see the wedding, though few believed that Amelia was truly a princess of Sailoon, especially with her stone body. It had been a simple affair, but now the reception started and the innkeeper was running up a bill to send to Sailoon.  
  
"What are you going to do now?" Lina questioned.  
  
"Haven't decided yet. You?" Syphiel returned.  
  
Lina folded her arms and pouted. "Home."  
  
"Home?" Syphiel questioned.  
  
"Yeah, home. To see my family, then his," Lina replied tersely.   
  
"Oh, that's wonderful. Say 'hi' to Luna for me," Syphiel requested.  
  
Lina flinched. "Yeah, sure."  
  
"Be sure to send a greeting to her for me too!" Xellos chirped.  
  
"When did you get here?" Lina snapped.  
  
"I was in the astral plane watching the whole wedding," Xellos replied. "I would've been here in person, but I needed to heal up and too much good emotion is bad for that."  
  
"Is there something you want?" Lina questioned.  
  
"I need the Claire Bible manuscripts back," Xellos replied.  
  
"What?!" Lina yelled.  
  
"Zelas isn't too pleased at me for letting you borrow them. I have to get them back, including Dragon Slayer," Xellos explained.  
  
"Dragon SLAYER?!" Syphiel shrieked.  
  
"If I refuse?" Lina questioned.  
  
"Then I'd have to take them back, which wouldn't be... pleasant," Xellos threatened.  
  
"I could kill you," Lina returned.  
  
"True, but would you know when and where I'd go after you? Then there's the matter of that old mage who knows more about me than he should...." Xellos smirked malevolently.  
  
Lina's hand twitched as she debated killing the mazoku right then and there.  
  
"But we can negotiate," Xellos offered.  
  
"Negotiate?" Lina blinked.  
  
Xellos nodded. "I do have a time frame to work off of. I don't need the manuscripts back NOW. As long as I have them by next week, all is good."  
  
"In other words, copy down everything I need," Lina growled.  
  
"Exactly. See ya!" Xellos disappeared.  
  
"You know Dragon SLAYER?!" Syphiel demanded daintily.  
  
"Yeah. But I'm not going to cast it again," Lina replied sheepishly.  
  
"Again?!" Syphiel looked like she was about to faint.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Xellos smiled happily as he shelved the manuscripts Lina had borrowed. The merry band of slayers had gone their separate ways. The Gabrievs went east to Zefielia, Ravven was in some brothel, and the Graywords went south to Sailoon with Syphiel tagging along at Amelia's request to confirm to the noble council that the marriage had taken place before her birthday.  
  
His plans were nearing completion. He just needed a few more things.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Prince Phil was many things. A man, a father, a defender of justice, but mostly he was the crown prince of Sailoon. The crown weighed heavily upon his brow, making him do things he never wanted to do. His duty to his people had cost him many things, especially the loss of his wife to an assassin's blade and having both of his daughters running away rather than be forced into marriage to secure the throne. He would sooner die pathetically then see either of his daughters unhappy, but his duty as crown prince was to secure a worthy king and queen for Sailoon.  
  
While part of Phil was upset neither of his daughters would become queen, the part of him that was their father was grateful. By removing themselves from the line of succession, his daughters were also removing the threat of falling under the assassin's blade as well. Phil knew of no throne bloodier than Sailoon's. Even the scholars could not agree at how many of his relatives died over who sat in it.  
  
"We're back here, again," said a young woman.  
  
"Amelia, you've returned!" Phil turned and rushed to hug her.  
  
A meaty thwack echoed though the palace courtyard as Phil's head met hard stone.  
  
Phil fell to the floor and rubbed his head and looked at his... daughter? "Amelia?"  
  
The five foot six woman of rock giggled nervously. "Hi, Daddy. Ran into a little problem when we tried to cure Zelgadis. Oh, and we're married now." She then gave a little hug to her stone companion.  
  
The guards at the outer city gates were startled as a loud scream echoed from the city.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Lina nervously peeked into the front door of the Dragon's Den Inn. She then squeaked in surprise as someone grabbed her by the hand and hoisted her into the air like some prize fish.  
  
"Still scrawny and flat-chested," commented a tall, buxom waitress with purple hair. "You should've tossed her back."  
  
Lina didn't cry out in anger, rather she giggled sheepishly as she was set back on the floor. "Hi, Sis."  
  
"Huh?!" Gourry looked between the two women. "That's Luna? She doesn't look anything like you."  
  
"Yep. I'm Luna." She patted Gourry on the shoulder. "Nice to finally meet you in person, Bro."  
  
Lina fidgeted. "You know about... us?"  
  
"Know?" Luna laughed. "I was at the wedding. Glad to see you didn't need my help even though it was that time of the month."  
  
Lina flushed.  
  
Gourry wondered what happened to his wife. She had never acted so mousy before.  
  
"Certainly took a while for Old-rod-up-his-butt to get the prophecy straight," Luna said with a smirk.  
  
"You knew about the prophecy?" Lina questioned.  
  
"I wrote it." Luna snickered. "Course, I knew he'd get it wrong the entire time."  
  
"You used me?! Again?!" Lina called out in shock.   
  
"Balance needs to be restored, and that helped. A lot." Luna patted her sister on the head. "That you finally married No-Brains was just an added plus. Didn't tell Mom and Dad, though. Left that pleasure for you." The waitress then laughed haughtily.  
  
"Gee, thanks." Lina seethed as her sister walked away.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Amelia woke up and frowned at the influx of sensations the new mazoku part of her was sending at her. It was giving her a headache sorting through the emotions her dark empathy was dumping into her. She was quite thankful that Zelgadis was near her, as he naturally absorbed dark emotions as well and reducing the amount she felt. She then blinked, noticing that emotions were radiating from the other side of her bedroom door, and they weren't moving.  
  
"Zelgadis," Amelia called out, shaking her husband awake.  
  
"Wha?!" Zelgadis grumbled.  
  
"There are people outside the door," Amelia explained.  
  
Zelgadis sat up and rubbed the sleep of his eyes. He could feel the presence of a couple people outside the door. Besides them feeling irritated, there were no dark emotions coming from them. He sighed as he lethargically pulled himself from bed and tossed on a robe. He opened the door and saw four guards standing there. "What's going on?"  
  
One guard saluted. "Lord Graywords, we are under orders by Prince Philionel not to let any one in or out of this room."  
  
"Why?" Zelgadis questioned.  
  
"That was not explained to us," replied the guard. "We can have breakfast brought up, if you wish."  
  
"Fine," Zelgadis grumbled. He didn't want to act until he knew what was going on. He returned to the room and saw Amelia scampering around trying to get dressed.  
  
"They were guards to escort us to the noble council, aren't they?" Amelia asked.  
  
"Actually, they're here to keep us in, and everyone else out," Zelgadis replied.  
  
"What? But I just noticed the flag for assembly has been raised. They're probably going to vote on whether or not we get the throne," Amelia said hastily.  
  
Zelgadis blinked and then growled. "Phil doesn't want us there."  
  
"Why wouldn't Daddy want us there?" Amelia asked.  
  
"Look in the mirror," Zelgadis replied tersely. "I doubt your father will mention anything about either of us being chimera, but you can bet he'll bring up my relation to Rezo."  
  
Amelia blinked and then brightened. "That's right. We still might get the throne this way!"  
  
Zelgadis gripped his forehead. He did not want to be king.  
  
-------------------*  
  
"Now listen, Pinky, to draw out the powers of Shabby from Zelgadis you need to fashion a power siphon," Luna explained.  
  
"And how do you suppose I make a power siphon strong enough to suck out his mazoku energies without it sucking up his soul as well?" Lina shot back.  
  
"Simple, don't have his soul in his body when you do it. There are more than a few magic items that can store his soul," Luna returned.  
  
Mrs. Inverse smiled at her daughters. It seemed like old times, having both of her daughters home working on some magical problem. She was quite proud of her daughters being the two greatest spell-casters in the world. Though she still wondered where the hell they got the talent from. It certainly wasn't from her or their father. She then frowned when Luna slapped Lina upside the head and their argument grew louder. It was perhaps TOO MUCH like old times.  
  
"Like this, you moron!" Mr. Inverse's voice echoed from outside.  
  
Mrs. Inverse's smile quirked. Except during the old times, Lina had a hard enough time dealing with boys. Now her little baby was married. Now if only Luna could land herself a husband, but then she looked at the man in dark clothes bringing tea to the quarreling sisters. Anyone but him, really. He was a nice enough fellow, but the guy was really a dragon and was the mount of the Ciephied Knight. She didn't want to imagine what the children would be like.  
  
Everyone except Luna jumped in surprise as a loud rumble from a fierce explosion echoed through the house.   
  
"What was that?" Lina questioned.  
  
Luna smirked. "Just a puppy finding out who's still the boss. Keep working. I've got business to attend to. Wormwood, let's go."  
  
"Yes, milady," replied the man.  
  
Lina watched through the window as the man grew into an enormous black dragon, which Luna then leapt on top of his back and the pair flew off towards the west.  
  
-------------------*  
  
"Ouch. That hurt," Xellos grumbled as he appeared at the doors of the Mazoku Library, but he had what he wanted. The key to the entire puzzle. He walked to the center of the gigantic room. Now was the time to bring his plan to fruition.   
  
Xellos held forth the Giga Slav manuscript he had only just acquired. It glowed brightly as it hovered in the air. The mazoku then spread his arms wide and began to chant.  
  
Circle upon circle formed around him. Each circle filled with mystical runes of power. Xellos raised his staff into the air and the red sphere on top turned a brilliant gold and all the Claire Bible manuscripts began to fly off their shelves and spiral towards the glowing orb, being absorbed as they came in contact with it.  
  
The room became a howling hurricane as every single manuscript was swept up into the vortex.  
  
As far as the city of Sairaag felt the shock wave caused by the Mountain of Tears imploding upon itself.  
  
As the echo of the destruction subsided, an eerie silence followed. But that was broken by a cackling laughter. "I did it!"  
  
"You certainly did," purred a cunning-looking woman angrily as she eyed the man before her.  
  
The man stood a little over six feet tall with long purple hair that reach to the small of his back. His robes were midnight black on top of a brilliant white. And in his hand rested a gnarled staff with many sharp branches coming from it, with a golden orb embedded at the top.  
  
"Interesting look, wouldn't you say, Mother?" questioned the man.  
  
Zelas growled, "I ordered you to help increase the powers of the mazoku, NOT to make yourself Hellmaster!"  
  
"You didn't?" Xellos pouted. "Then you really should've been more specific. Ah, well. No use crying over spilt milk."  
  
"This will not go unpunished," Zelas warned.  
  
"Punished?" Xellos held out his arm, showing off some strings dangled from it. "I'm sorry, Mother. But I've seemed to have cut all the strings you used to control me. Now I'm my own mazoku, not the puppet of you or any other mazoku. Well, except Lord of Nightmares, and there's not much chance of an order coming from there."  
  
"There is more than one way to punish a wayward mazoku," boomed a gruff voice.  
  
Xellos smiled at the armored man, followed by an equally armored woman. "If it isn't Dynast and Sarah? How's things?"  
  
"Do not expect us to swear allegiance to you," stated a woman in blue, who looked bored to be there.  
  
"Didn't expect you to, my dear Dolphin," Xellos replied. "I'm merely starting up a new political party. One where mazoku will have free will, and dragons don't have to listen to the hypocrisy of their elders. Care to meet my running mate?"  
  
A woman stepped out of the shadows. "Howdy," Luna greeted.  
  
"This is not the end, Xellos," Zelas spat as she vanished.  
  
"Do not cross my path," Dynast ordered before he and his general left as well.  
  
Dolphin placed her chin in her hand as she leaned forward. "Tell me more."  
  
Xellos blinked in surprise. "Well, the goal of this new order is to create a true balance...."  
  
-------------------*  
  
Time had passed and life changed....  
  
A bell chimed loudly as a buxom woman with long flowing black hair and wearing a leather bikini. That the top had extra thick leather to better support the breasts did not escape the woman running the shop.  
  
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Princess Garcia Ul Naga de Sailoon," commented the shopkeeper.  
  
"How did you know...." Naga blinked. "Lina?! Is that you?!"  
  
Lina smirked, dressed in casual slacks and a loose shirt. "Of course it's me. How have you been?"  
  
"Fine. You?" Naga questioned.  
  
"Bored," Lina complained. "The slaying business sort of dried up after Xellos became a dark lord and started blasting away any mazoku or dragon that caused any sort of trouble. It's been years since I had a good challenge. After wasting Fibrizo and Dark Star, killing bandits lost its appeal."  
  
"I suppose you had a hand in Xellos gaining his powers," Naga accused.  
  
"Only because my sister used me," Lina retorted bitterly.  
  
"Figures. You were always easy to manipulate," Naga teased.  
  
"You're the one who kept on being manipulated," Lina returned.  
  
Naga glared and then demanded, "How do you know my full name AND title?!"  
  
"I'm friends with Queen Amelia," Lina explained.  
  
"I suppose you were the one to turn her and King Zelgadis into chimera," Naga accused.  
  
"I only changed Amelia because she asked me too. Rezo was the one who did it to Zelgadis. And I DID make both of them human," Lina explained.  
  
"I should get revenge for my sister," Naga threatened.  
  
Lina held up a hand where a ball of pure blackness formed. "Do you really want to try?"  
  
Naga looked sick, remembering when Lina first tested Giga Slav on a beach.  
  
"Didn't think so," Lina replied with a sigh, dispersing the ball.  
  
"So, Lina, this shop is yours?" Naga questioned to change subjects.  
  
"Yep," Lina replied proudly.  
  
"Why in Sairaag?" Naga asked.  
  
"Because half the major magical shit hits here, and I suspect that if Xellos's crap with his new world order ever hits the fan, that it'll hit here too," Lina explained.  
  
"But what made you settle down?" Naga pressed.  
  
Lina shrugged. "Well, I had pretty much done everything and had gotten married."  
  
"Married?" Naga questioned. "What kind of moron would possibly marry you?"  
  
"Hey, Lina! Where's my shoes?!" Gourry called out from upstairs.  
  
"By the door, exactly where YOU left them?!" Lina shot back. She then giggled nervously at Naga.  
  
"You did marry a moron! Oh, HO! HO! HO! HO!" Naga laughed.  
  
Lina grimaced at the noise.  
  
Gourry peaked into the room and stared at Naga strangely. "Is that some kind of a 'whore call?'"  
  
Naga stopped cold and then cast a deadly glared at Gourry.  
  
Lina fell off her chair from laughing to hard.  
  
-------------------*  
  
Xellos's Notes:  
  
This is the end, folks. Sorry about the wait, but becoming a certified god takes time. Yes, this chapter was an epilogue. And NO, there will NOT be any new parts. There isn't anything more to be written for this series.  
  
It is an Archive fict, so someone had to end up pregnant, and in this case it was Princess Alicia. For those wondering why not Amelia and/or Lina, that would be far too predictable. And Archive had no intention of them ever being referenced as having a child.  
  
Hope you enjoyed the series. I know I did. And thanks to all the proof-readers for this series. Without you, Archive's grammar would've sucked!  
  
Now perhaps Archive can start on the 'ongoing' Slayers fanfict he's been wanting to do. It is based as a blend of novel and anime, with the last arc of the novels occurring. However, do not expect anything on that soon as Archive will be very busy over the next few months. But if you see The Slayers: Finesse from Archive, then you know it has begun. 


End file.
